On April 2, our French member organisation Le Choix organised a succesfull demonstration in favour of the right to choose our end of life.
Nathalie Andrews:
More than forty-five panels expressed our demands, or evoked the cases of people who died in inhuman conditions in France, or serenely abroad. The two co-chairs, Nathalie Andrews and Dr Denis Labayle, recalled our objectives, Annie Wallet, the main organizer of the demonstration, commented on our leaflet and recalled that we were a minority to act but that the acting minorities can bring about changes in laws. Then Annie Sugier, president of « La ligue internationale du droit des femmes », as well as Martine Cerf, general secretary of « EGALE », a secular defense association, came to express their solidarity with our fight. We distributed a thousand leaflets.
The dissolution of the demonstration did not go exactly as planned. For two months, Le Choix had announced to the Paris police headquarters their intention to finish the gathering with a silent procession to the Place du Chatelet, staying on the sidewalk. But when passing the Palais of Justice, the people were intercepted by the CRS and had to turn back. Surrounded by the CRS, the demonstration was dissolved around 4PM in a festive atmosphere.
Nathalie Andrews:
Proud of this success, we decided that this event was only the starting point of a series of actions. We will once again assert our objectives in the public arena, even if no Parisian media was present, despite the fifty invitations we sent. This event was relayed by Toulouse newspaper « La Dépêche du Midi », a very encouraging signal !
France