Mon, 16/04/2012 - 07:53

Carnival for choice in Worthing - report

Brighton SolFed joined the Worthing 'Carnival for Choice' organised by Brighton Pro-Choice on Sunday 15th April. The carnival was called as a counter-demonstration against the Jubilee Church, backers of the 'Abort67' group who have been harassing and intimidating women at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in Brighton.

The evangelical Jubilee Church meets in a school building on Sundays as they have been refused permission to operate their building on an industrial estate as a church. The carnival attracted upwards of 75 people, who formed a lively picket of the main entrance, before splitting into two groups to cover the entrance and exit as church members left. Chants of 'whose choice? our choice!', 'abort your support for Abort67' and 'shame on you for harassing women' rang out.

Even before the carnival, the cracks were beginning to show, with some members of the congregation not supporting Abort67's intimidation tactics. The Carnival for Choice had a lively atmosphere, with music, a true or false game and even a pro-choice tombola. But the message was clear and serious: womens bodies do not belong to the church, the state or to men.