More than 100,000 protesters organised by Catholic groups staged demonstrations in French cities over the weekend to protest against government plans to legalise same-sex marriage next year.
Most took to the streets on Saturday, backed by the French Catholic Church and joined by senior clerics. Several thousand more paraded with traditionalist Catholics in Paris yesterday.
Though marching separately, they chanted the same slogan – “one father and one mother for all children” – and denounced the Socialist government’s plan. Polls show about 60 per cent support for the reform, but not for the right for gay people to adopt children.
“Shame on the president: who’ll protect the infants?” chanted protesters yesterday in the capital. In the daily Le Monde on Saturday, the heads of the Catholic, Muslim, Protestant and Jewish communities urged the government to allow more time for a public debate on the issue. – (Reuters)
