Thursday 25 April 2013

Malta Today: France expected to approve gay marriage law amid protests

Supporters of anti-gay marriage movement in France expected to take to the streets of Paris in a last attempt to block the gay marriage law.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/world/France-expected-to-approve-gay-marriage-law-amid-protests-20130421
Sunday 21 April 2013 - 10:05



France is expected to become the 14th country in the world to legalise same-sex unions when next week, the French parliament is expected to pass the bill allowing gays to marry and adopt children after weeks of opposition protests which last week culminated in several days of hostile and sometimes violent rallies.

The bill was a key manifesto pledge by France's Socialist president Francois Hollande.

Tension over the imminent adoption of the law -- which is going through a second reading after already being approved in the French parliament's upper and lower houses -- reached breaking point last week.

In Paris, opponents of the bill marched for three nights running Wednesday through Friday.

A hard core of activists, some wearing masks, clashed with police, who made more than 100 arrests during the week. Two journalists were attacked during Wednesday's march, and cars along the route of the rally were vandalised.

In parliament's lower house, the National Assembly, a final debate on the legislation in the small hours of Friday was marred by unprecedented scuffles between deputies.

Opponents have accused the government of rushing the bill through its final legislative stages by implementing a fast-track measure limiting debate to 25 hours.

No comments:

Post a Comment