Leading pro choice campaigner attending public meeting in Enniskillen

by Gráinne Connolly

Courtney Robinson,  a leading pro- choice campaigner is speaking at a public meeting in Enniskillen tomorrow to discuss how LGBT and women's rights can be won. 

Socialist Youth, Ms Robinson was an organiser of the initiative which saw abortion pills transported across the border by drone and taken by activists in protest at Northern Ireland's termination ban, garnering international attention. 

Receiving abortion pills from the speedboat after drone landing in Northern Ireland. #abortiondrone #notacriminal pic.twitter.com/yOpcdTSHT4

— Courtney Robinson (@Coroweee) 21 June 2016

Taking the pills after the drone landing. #notacriminal #freesafelegal pic.twitter.com/0Ag92y8MPb

— Courtney Robinson (@Coroweee) 21 June 2016

Courtney thinks Northern Ireland is being "kept in the dark ages by Stormont politicians who are totally out of touch with ordinary people. 

"This is now the only place in these islands where same-sex couples don't have marriage equality due to the DUP's undemocratic blockade. 

"None of the main parties support a woman's right to choose. Fifty years after abortion rights were won in Britain, women here are still forced to travel across the water of face criminalisation if they need a termination.

"We can't simply wait for change to be delivered by the backward politicians or the courts. 

"Rights for women and LGBT people have never simply been handed down from above but won by movements which took the fight to the establishment. 

"The majority vote for marriage equality at Stormont was the result of mass demonstrations putting the politicians under pressure. Using people power, we can win." 

When speaking about how these rights can be won here, the pro-choice activist says it's going to have to be from "grass roots": 

"A bottom up campaign, it'll have to be through cross-community campaigns. 

"These kind of issues, especially abortion rights and LGBT rights we've been choice time and time again that politicians can't be trusted to do what the public want them to do.

"They aren't representing the views of the vast majority of people so we want to build a movement of people from all communities; women and men, young people and workers and organise unions and get on the streets and fight for abortion rights and LGBT rights." 

The public meeting will take place at Fermanagh House, Enniskillen at 3pm tomorrow (Saturday 23rd September). 

Everyone is welcome to attend.