Mass protest outside European Parliament in Brussels over Spain's abortion reform

As well as members of the public of all nationalities, organisations including the European Women's Lobby, Abortion Right, the European Humanist Federation, Catholics for Choice and the International Planned Parenthood Federation were joined by MEPs from the socialists, liberalists, the 'greens' and United Left.

Banners read, 'Rights for men, but also for women'; 'Free abortion', and 'All of us are Spanish women' – a message of support meaning restrictions on legal abortion could one day affect any of them.

Socialist MEPs read out a manifesto which declared: “Today, the voice of women is the voice of Europe. The PP wants to create a distinction between those women who have the financial means to travel abroad for an abortion, and those who have no choice but to opt for a back-street abortion and put their lives and health at risk.”

French MEP for the 'green' party, José Bové, said: “What is happening in Spain is an unbelievable regression. It's truly shocking to see how the achievements of women in Europe are being cast aside to placate an intolerable religious minority.”

“I hope Spain's government reconsiders and axes the reform, which makes no sense anyway, because that's the best way to move forward to the future,” said United Left MEP Mikael Gustaffson.

One of the women present, Chantal, 62, a member of the Francophone Belgium Women's Council, said: “It's unbelievable and very sad that we have to protest on the street once again for something women in Europe fought for and achieved over 40 years ago.”

The organisations which called the demonstration sent an open letter to the Spanish ambassador for the EU, Alfonso Dastis, expressing their 'grave concerns' about the planned restrictions on abortion in Spain and calling for the law to be withdrawn.

“If it is approved, it will be a dramatic backward step in women's rights and a failure on the part of the Spanish government in its duty to promote public health and human rights,” said the missive.

At the last EU Parliamentary meeting in Strasbourg, the majority of MEPs – with the exception of the European PP, or PPE, called for the abortion reform to be scrapped.

When or if it is brought into force – which justice minister Alberto Ruíz-Gallardón said could be as early as the end of February – it will mean the only scenarios in which a woman can terminate a pregnancy will be where it is the result of a rape, and only up to the 12^th week of gestation, or if her health is in serious danger, a fact which has to be certified by two separate doctors who have never been involved in her treatment.

Where the foetus would be born with a deformity or disability, mental or physical and however serious, the woman will not be allowed to have an abortion.