Abortion debate reignites on steps of Manitoba legislature
Pro-choicers outnumber anti-abortionists at Thursday afternoon protest
Anti-abortionists assembled on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building on Thursday for a planned protest only to be outnumbered but pro-choice activists.
The group, dubbed Defund Abortion, scheduled the protest for noon, calling for the province to stop funding abortion procedures in the province.
When they arrived, they were met with pro-choice activists, rallying for their continued right to an abortion in Manitoba.
Security services on site estimated the group at about 200 people, with pro-choice ralliers making up about two-thirds of the crowd.
There were few confrontations between demonstrators, aside from some verbal sparring back and forth.
The protest wrapped up around 1 p.m.
Abortion is a legal, approved medical procedure in Canada and has been since 1988.
Two years ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the federal government would not allow the abortion debate to be reopened in Parliament after a Conservative MP called for a committee to be created on when life began.