Youth down: What good is inclusion if I can be aborted?
On May 27th, in the Constitution Plaza and in front of the Moneda Palace, in Santiago de Chile, young people with Down syndrome, of the complement Foundation, demonstrated against the project to legalize abortion in the country.
Under the project "Abortion No. We all have the right to be born", the Coordinator for Life, the youth together with parents, professionals and staff of the foundation, carried out an urban intervention, in which they delivered to the pedestrians stationary and "caramel cookies" elaborated for the boys.
Complement's executive Director took the floor and said: "This bill is the prelude to a massive abortion policy and the global figures demonstrate this: children with Down syndrome are the first victims. In Denmark 86% of pregnancies with this diagnosis end in abortion, in the United States 92% and in France 96%, the same happens in Spain and in several countries of Asia". In contrast, Chile is one of the countries whose birth rate for children with this condition is the highest, with an average of 25 per 10.000 births of babies, where abortion is not legal.
In turn, Felipe Alessandri testified that, even having this condition, with the proper support and affection of other people, one can come to have a life that is quite integrated and happy. Likewise, María Inés Verdugo, who is the mother of six children and two have Down syndrome, asked the authorities not to abort these little ones, but to support them. He argued that they have many capacities, from managing technology to preserving friendships.
Some of the posters that were shown in the demonstration had phrases like: "There are No people more dignified than others", "We want protection not discrimination" and "what is the use of inclusion if we can abort?", among others.