H.E. George Vella’s address at the ‘Manifestation in favour of Life’ is an astounding insult to all those who care about civil rights and equality in our country.
We note with huge disappointment H.E. George Vella’s decision to address an anti-abortion manifestation in Valletta on 2 February 2020. In doing so he is sharing a podium with individuals and organisations who have strongly opposed, and still actively oppose, a whole plethora of hard earned civil rights including the right to divorce, the right to reproductive assistance in the form of IVF, access to contraception, and LGBT rights including equal marriage and adoption rights.
Without even going into the merits of the abortion issue, H.E. George Vella’s address at this event will give prominence and legitimacy to organisations associated with extreme right wing ideologies; ideologies that have been repeatedly soundly rejected by the Maltese electorate at the polls. Suffice to say that the other prominent world leader who has recently attended such an anti-abortion event is none other than American president Donald J. Trump.
We urge His Excellency and the Office of the President to consider the sentiment of all Maltese citizens who care about and have benefitted from civil rights and equality in our country, and to distance themselves from these ideologies and organisations.