Croatian Religious Conservatives Hold Anti-Abortion March

In the Name of the Family, a Catholic conservative group, organised an anti-abortion 'Walk for Life' march on Saturday in the eastern city of Osijek - the latest in a series of similar events nationwide.

Several hundred people gathered in Osijek's old city centre, Tvrdja, then headed towards Ante Starcevic Square, where speeches were made.

The Walk for Life started from the old city centre, along European Avenue, the main city street, to the central square, singing patriotic songs. Photo: BIRN/Vuk Tesija

The slogan of the march was "Don't stop my heartbeat, just give me love", and participants were played a recording of the heartbeat of an unborn child.

"We think that when a person hears the beating of that heart, they cannot remain indifferent and deny the existence of life. We intend to warn the public about this," the main coordinator of the Osijek Walk for Life, Professor Lidija Blagojevic, told BIRN.

Coordinator Lidija Blagojevic addressed the crowd. Photo: BIRN/Vuk Tesija

Among the speakers at the event was Jadranka Arambasic, a paediatrician in Osijek, as well as parents of adopted children.

A similar march was also held in the city of Zadar on Saturday. In the Name of the Family currently holds 'Walk for Life' events in a total of 12 cities in Croatia.

A change in the law was demanded from the main town square in Osijek. Photo: BIRN/Vuk Tesija

In the Name of the Family also campaigns against what it calls the "harmfulness of imposing gender ideology on children", and works on "collecting data on intolerance and attacks on the Catholic Church", according to its activity report for 2022.

The conservative association is close to the Catholic Church, and its gatherings are regularly...