Two days before the examination of the bioethics bill in the Senate, about a thousand people demonstrated peacefully on Sunday January 31 in front of the Ministry of Health in Paris against the text, at the call of the associative movement "Marchons Enfants!" ". 

"Paternity is not an option, and motherhood is not a benefit" or "Macron, your law, we don't want it" were sung by the demonstrators, many of whom came with their families.

On small red or green flags held by all the demonstrators, one could read in particular "confined democracy, bill to be withdrawn".

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The bioethics bill and its flagship measure, the opening of the PMA to all women, will come back from February 2, at second reading, in the chamber of the Senate dominated by the opposition.

"They take advantage of the context to try to advance on the sly even when political life is reduced to its simplest expression, that there is no longer any real debate between the majority and the oppositions, but luckily you are there", launched Ludovine de la Rochère, president of La Manif pour tous, from a platform overlooking the demonstrators.

"I denounce what is nothing other than a democratic hold-up," she shouted into the microphone.

"There is still time to withdraw this bill", she hammered before singing "we will not let go, never, never, never".

In the crowd, Isabelle, a 68-year-old Parisian, said she was "very worried about the bill that is being voted on because it goes against natural law".

She ensures "remained mobilized" even if she notes that "there are less and less people at the demonstrations".

“People unfortunately know that there is no democracy in France,” she said.

Saturday demonstrations in several cities 

This rally follows several demonstrations which took place on Saturday in France, in particular in Rennes and Angers where clashes pitted demonstrators and counter-demonstrators.

Clashes between supporters and opponents of the bioethics bill, Sunday afternoon in Lyon, the police intervening to separate them.

Between 1,250 (according to the authorities) and 3,000 people (according to the organizers) marched in the city center of Lyon, at one point finding themselves face to face with counter-demonstrators, especially feminists, numbering 350, according to Prefecture.

No injuries are to be deplored.

A person was arrested for throwing a projectile, according to the same source. 

A few hundred anti-GPA-PMA demonstrators also gathered in Dijon, surrounded by a large police force.

"Business is business, Sperme is money" or "No to science without conscience", were among the signs brandished in the procession, whose head banner denounced a bill "neither ethical nor organic".

With AFP

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