Tweets and photos from the marches: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1117/breaking26.html
Thousands attend Savita vigils around the country [image: Protesters in Dublin demanding legislation on abortion after the death of Savita Halappanavar. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire]Protesters in Dublin demanding legislation on abortion after the death of Savita Halappanavar. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire Related - Tanaiste seeks 'clarity' on abortion after Savita death | 15/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1115/breaking2.html?via=rel> - Independent expert to be appointed in Savita review | 14/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1114/breaking19.html?via=rel> - Gloom as long avoided issue an issue again | 16/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1116/1224326665905.html?via=rel> - Friends recall 'life and soul' of community | 15/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1115/1224326607989.html?via=rel> - Husband says no contact from HSE on inquiry | 17/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/1117/1224326705373.html?via=rel> - HSE still finalising details of Savita Halappanavar inquiry | 16/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1116/breaking2.html?via=rel> - Watchdog seeks details from HSE | 16/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1116/1224326668094.html?via=rel> - Lobby group accused of exploiting death | 15/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1115/1224326607685.html?via=rel> - Too soon to commit on abortion legislation, says Reilly | 16/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/1116/1224326668914.html?via=rel> - Tragedy of Savita should not be used as excuse for witch-hunt | 17/11/2012<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/1117/1224326702610.html?via=rel> IRISH TIMES REPORTERS Thousands of people attended candlelight vigils in Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Carlow and London this evening to demand the Government legislate on abortion following the death of Savita Halappanavar. Beginning at the Garden of Remembrance, the Dublin march crossed OConnell Bridge and snaked its way towards Dáil Eireann. It was headed by a giant banner which read Never Again, adorned with images of the 31-year-old Indian dentist. Organisers of the Dublin march said about 20,000 people had turned out, but a Garda spokeswoman said they estimated the figure to be between 10,000 and 12,000. Twenty years is far too long; ignoring womens rights is wrong, bellowed from a megaphone at the front of the procession. Loud, angry cries of Never Again filled the air. By the time the demonstration reached Merrion Square, its tail end was still crossing OConnell Bridge. The anger extends beyond Ireland, organiser Sinead Kennedy of the Irish Choice Network told the crowd as they huddled in the rain at the beginning of the march. For more than 20 years we have seen political cowardice and inaction on this issue. The theme of this march is never again. Never again will a woman be allowed to die, she said. At the end of the demonstration, several speakers took to a makeshift stage on the back of an old truck to rouse the crowd and whip up a commitment to further protests. Sinead Ahern of Choice Ireland told them that there were similar demonstrations around Ireland and the world. As huge as the crowd is today we are only part of what is happening today. Today we march and today we stand in solidarity. In the past, she said, Irish people stood up and said it wasnt acceptable. Twenty years later we are awaiting legislation to say that it isnt acceptable. Over 1,000 people attended a similar gathering in Eyre Square in Galway, organised by the Galway Pro-Choice group. Earlier today members of the Indian community in Galway held another ceremony outside University Hospital Galway, where they lay white roses under a photograph of her Ms Halappanavar. Gardaí said this afternoon they are assisting the Coroner in relation to Ms Halappanavar's death. A spokesman for the gardaí said this was "standard procedure in the case of a sudden death." Earlier, the Health Service Executive said they have been in contact with legal representatives of the late Mrs Halappanavar's husband about the inquiry that is being carried out into her death. A spokesperson for the HSE said this morning that a letter of condolence was sent to Mr Halappanavar in the days after his wife's death in Galway University Hospital last month, and they had communicated with his lawyers in Ireland in recent days. Mr Halappanavar told The Irish Times last night from India that he had heard from no one in the HSE, the Department of Health, the Taoiseachs office, the Department of Foreign Affairs or the Irish Embassy in New Delhi, and that he was "very worried" about what sort of inquiry will be established into her death. <http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1117/breaking4.html> [image: Thousands gathered on OConnell Street in Dublin today to demand legislation on abortion after the death of Savita Halappanavar. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire] <http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1117/breaking4.html> Thousands gathered on OConnell Street in Dublin today to demand legislation on abortion after the death of Savita Halappanavar. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1117/breaking4.html> Thousands march in Dublin over abortion rights Demonstration in solidarity with family of woman who died after being denied abortion draws over 10,000 protesters - Share<http://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=180444840287&link=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/17/march-dublin-abortion-death&display=popup&redirect_uri=http://static-serve.appspot.com/static/facebook-share/callback.html&show_error=false> ****23 - - - inShare0 - Email<?subject=From%20the%20Guardian:%20Thousands%20march%20in%20Dublin%20over%20abortion%20rights&body=I%20thought%20you%20might%20be%20interested%20in%20this%20link%20from%20the%20Guardian:%20Thousands%20march%20in%20Dublin%20over%20abortion%20rights%20-%20http://gu.com/p/3bqnh/em> - Henry McDonald <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/henrymcdonald> in Dublin - guardian.co.uk <http://www.guardian.co.uk/>, Saturday 17 November 2012 16.45 EST [image: Abortion rights march in Dublin] Abortion rights protesters bearing pictures of Savita Halappanavar march through central Dublin on Saturday. Photograph: Shawn Pogatchnik/AP As more than 10,000 protesters demonstrated in Dublin in solidarity with the family of an Indian woman who died after being denied an abortion<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/abortion> inIreland <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ireland>, her father called on the taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to change the Republic's strict anti-abortion laws. In an interview with the Observer<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/17/ireland-abortion-case-father>, Andanappa Yalagi issued a personal challenge to Ireland's premier to legislate on abortion. "Sir, please change your law and take consideration of humanity. Please change the law on abortion, which will help save the lives of so many women in the future," he said. The grieving father also confirmed his family is taking legal action to prevent future acts of "inhumanity" in Irish hospitals. His threat of legal action comes as the Royal College of Midwives said the husband and family of Savita Halappanavar<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/savita-halappanavar> could sue the hospital where she was treated for "gross negligence". On the streets of Dublin there was palpable anger over how the 31-year-old dentist died at University Hospital Galway last month. More than 10,000 people marched from the city's Garden of Remembrance to the Irish parliament chanting "never again", while a leftwing Dáil deputy Claire Daly said the Indian woman died due to "political cowardice" among Ireland's establishment. The death in of Savita Halappanavar from blood poisoning due to a miscarriage has refocussed global attention on the near total ban on abortion in Ireland. Her husband Paveen described in graphic terms last week how his wife pleaded for a termination in the hospital but was told the medical team could not carry out an abortion as they had detected a foetal heartbeat. When Savita said she was a Hindu, Paveen said the couple were told: "This is a Catholic country." When the marchers reached Merrion Square at the back of the Irish parliament a minute silence was observed in memory of Savita Halappanavar. In their interview, the dead woman's parents said: "We want the government of India to put pressure on Ireland to change the law so that this cannot happen in the future." India summoned the Irish ambassador in Delhi on Friday to stress that any inquiry into Halappanavar's death must be fully independent. Back in central Dublin the demonstrators encountered some hostility from a small group of anti-abortion activists in O'Connell Street. One nun beside held up a placard opposing abortion. It read: "Must millions of innocent unborn infants be sacrificed to satan for the death of one woman?" Pro-choice activists hung banners stating "never again" on the historic Ha'Penny Bridgem, which straddles the river Liffey. There were other protests by pro-choice campaigners in Galway and Limerick, and outside the Irish embassy in London and the Irish consulate in Edinburgh. 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