iFocusNews.com
06-19-2005, 09:04 PM
500,000 Oppose Gay Marriage
HUNDREDS of thousands of people led by 20 Catholic bishops and conservative opposition leaders clogged downtown Madrid yesterday to demonstrate against the Socialist government's Bill to legalise gay marriage and let gay couples adopt children.
About 500,000 people chanted in favour of the family and children's rights in a march called by a lay Catholic group the Spanish Forum for the Family. Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega accused protesters of discrimination and of wanting to deny to others they rights they enjoyed.
The new law "does not oblige anyone to do anything they don't want to do", Ms Fernandez de la Vega she said.
The gay marriage Bill is expected to be law in a matter of weeks. It has been passed by the lower chamber of Parliament and will be voted on next week by the Senate.
Opinion polls indicate most Spaniards support the Bill.
But demonstrators were angry at what they called the degradation of the institution of marriage and the fact that gay couples may adopt.
"Marriage can only be between man and a woman," said Agustin Cruz, 41.
"It's a divine and natural law. Marriage of homosexuals is a lie."
The Bishops' Conference last week slammed the gay marriage bill as the biggest challenge to the Catholic church and its values in 2000 years.
It was the first time the church has given such a display of anti-government activism in more than 20 years.
The demonstration forced a complete halt to traffic in most of central Madrid. – AFP
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,15664484%255E663,00.html
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5019060,00.jpg
HUNDREDS of thousands of people led by 20 Catholic bishops and conservative opposition leaders clogged downtown Madrid yesterday to demonstrate against the Socialist government's Bill to legalise gay marriage and let gay couples adopt children.
About 500,000 people chanted in favour of the family and children's rights in a march called by a lay Catholic group the Spanish Forum for the Family. Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega accused protesters of discrimination and of wanting to deny to others they rights they enjoyed.
The new law "does not oblige anyone to do anything they don't want to do", Ms Fernandez de la Vega she said.
The gay marriage Bill is expected to be law in a matter of weeks. It has been passed by the lower chamber of Parliament and will be voted on next week by the Senate.
Opinion polls indicate most Spaniards support the Bill.
But demonstrators were angry at what they called the degradation of the institution of marriage and the fact that gay couples may adopt.
"Marriage can only be between man and a woman," said Agustin Cruz, 41.
"It's a divine and natural law. Marriage of homosexuals is a lie."
The Bishops' Conference last week slammed the gay marriage bill as the biggest challenge to the Catholic church and its values in 2000 years.
It was the first time the church has given such a display of anti-government activism in more than 20 years.
The demonstration forced a complete halt to traffic in most of central Madrid. – AFP
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,15664484%255E663,00.html
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5019060,00.jpg