”This is a continuous struggle…. the struggle for the right to abortion, is a continuation of the defence of the freedoms and rights of women. Our struggle, the feminist struggle today is a continuation of the last ten, fifteen, twenty or thirty years. It is completely linked”.
The attempt by the far right PP government to abolish abortion rights in Spain in 2014 ran into enormous women’s resistance. Feminist groups and networks sprang up like mushrooms with all kinds of  noisy and original resistance tactics.
As happened in Poland in Oct 2016 the government was forced to back down, and the interior minister, the notoriously arrogant and sexist GallardĂłn was forced to resign. In both cases the Catholic Church was behind the unpopular legislation. In Spain the church retains key political power (several ministers at the time were leaders of the Opus Dei sect), tax free status, huge subsidies and immense and growing property wealth.
But the church has dwindling attendance among youth, perhaps due to the continuing pedophile scandals, as well as a long boycott by many adults who still remember the  impunity of Church collaboration in Francoist fascist atrocities and mass stealing and selling of babies.
In Spain, as in Poland and Ireland, the Catholic Church, as an out of touch, male-only ruled body, was defeated in enforcing their control over women’s bodies. This is an amazing hard won victory and a step forward (especially small but important in Poland).
But the Catholic Church will go on resisting every step of the way. This case in Majorca is a good example. Â The Church demanded up to six years each for holding up a pro choice banner during a Mass, during the mobilizations in 2014 against the anti abortion law.
Finally the Roman Catholic Diocese of Majorca has cut the demanded penalty to a year and a half each for the feminists. The trial is now over and they await sentencing on October 20th.
Five of the six admitted taking part in the demo while a sixth was picked up in error and denies ever going to the Church of San Miguel on February 9, 2014, though she supports the demo..
The defense called for the acquittal claiming the demo  was a  legitimate act protected by freedom of expression and had not resulted in any injury to religious freedom
The lawyer JosĂŠ LuĂs, legal representative of feminists facing trial, said, “My defendants have said they did not know that at that time they were celebrating Mass.” and asked for an acquittal with fines, equivalent to 270 euros or alternatively to 22 days in prison.
Thus, it has been proven that five of the six facing trial participated in a protest that sought to denounce the moral role of the church in the controversial “GallardĂłn law.”
 On 20 October we will know whether organized feminism will win another battle in defense of the right of women to control our own bodies or, conversely,  the Catholic Church will reinforce their aims, which even in the XXI century, remain untouchable.
We will publish the result as an update HERE:
mĂŠs info en CatalĂ
El Bisbat de Mallorca rebaixa a un any i mig la peticiĂł de presĂł per a les feministes encausades
Ăs una lluita contĂnua. La lluita que seguim reivindicant en relaciĂł a un avortament lliure i gratuĂŻt ĂŠs una lluita contĂnua del moviment feminista de tota la història. Ja sigui amb la llei de divorci de la segona repĂşblica, com ara, en el segle XXI, les lluites a favor del dret a l’avortament, sĂłn una continuaciĂł en defensa de les llibertats i drets de les dones.
La nostra lluita, la lluita feminista d’avui en dia, ĂŠs una continuaciĂł de la de fa deu, quinze, vint o trenta anys. EstĂ completament lligada. Si no fos grĂ cies a les dones dels anys 80 o d’abans, del segle XX o XIX, avui nosaltres no serĂem aquĂ tampoc. Si no s’haguĂŠs aconseguit tot el que s’ha aconseguit fins ara, nosaltres no podrĂem continuar demanant mĂŠs reconeixement als drets de les dones.
Cinc de les sis feministes encausades han acceptat haver participat dels fets, mentre que una Ăşltima ha negat que acudĂs a lâEsglĂŠsia de Sant Miquel aquell 9 de febrer de 2014 Â Â perÂ
SERGI FRAU
Les declaracions de les sis encausades
Durant la primera jornada de la vista oral, que tinguĂŠ lloc aquest dijous i coincidĂ âirònicament o noâ amb la celebraciĂł de Sant Miquel (sant que dĂłna nom a l’esglĂŠsia on van posar els fets jutjats), van declarar les sis joves encausades.
Totes elles varen contestar a les preguntes del seu advocat, Josep de LuĂs, i a les del tribunal, presidit per la magistrada Carmen GonzĂĄlez âconeguda per haver presidit el tribunal del mediĂ tic judici del cas NoĂłsâ i es van negar a contestar a les preguntes tant de la Fiscalia, representada per Rosa GarcĂa, com de l’acusaciĂł particular, representada per l’advocat del Bisbat de Mallorca.
Les declaracions van posar sobre la taula aspectes rellevants com ara: el reconeixement de la participaciĂł en els fets de cinc de les sis encausades; la desconeixença que en aquell temple i a aquella hora se celebrava una missa; la manifestaciĂł de disculpes als feligresos que es poguessin haver sentit ofesos i destacĂ , sobretot, la declaraciĂł de Maria de Lluc Forteza, que afirmĂ âamb la confirmaciĂł de la resta d’encausadesâ que ella, tot i compartir les motivacions, no va participar en cap moment de la protesta feminista que tinguĂŠ lloc aquell 9 de febrer de 2014 a la cèntrica esglĂŠsia de la ciutat de Palma……. …
………AixĂ doncs, ha quedat provat que cinc de les sis encausades varen participar en una protesta que pretenia denunciar el paper moral de l’esglĂŠsia en la polèmica “Llei GallardĂłn”. De la mateixa manera, s’ha posat de manifest l’absència de cap tipus de violència.
En conclusiĂł: el tribunal haurĂ de dirimir si entrar en grup a una esglĂŠsia amb una pancarta i reivindicant un avortament lliure i gratuĂŻt mentre se celebra una missa constitueix un delicte o no. El 20 d’octubre sabrem si el feminisme organitzat guanya una altra batalla mĂŠs en defensa del dret al propi cos o si, per contra, la guanya l’EsglĂŠsia catòlica, que pretĂŠn, en ple segle XXI, seguir sent intocable.
full catalan article HEREÂ https://directa.cat/actualitat/e…..
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