Unexpected visitors and action by Dutch Minister
Pressured by the Dutch members of Parliament Bot contacted the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the Borndiep. Bot says he respects the decision of the Portuguese government but kindly requests them to allow the ship in their territorial waters.
In the meantime, very early in the Morning a representatives of the PSD and CD, the Portuguese government parties try to visit the ship without notifying us. Much to their surprise we are waiting for them on the quayside. As if they never read any newspaper, the representatives claim that they thought we would be staying at the ship. They decide to cancel their trip and instead invite us for a meeting. We schedule the meeting for later that afternoon.
The representatives are inviting us for an open debate concerning abortion to show that they are very willing to have a debate. But we believe that there cannot be a fair and open debate when the government determine the conditions and abuse their power to prevent us from using the means with which we choose to express our opinion and to provide information. The ship and the mobile treatment room \ art work are our ways of expressing ourselves, a fundamental human right.
The Portuguese government clearly only wants an abstract debate but they do not want to change the reality and suffering of Portuguese women.
Women on Waves does not just want an abstract debate but wanted to be able to show a safe and legal alternative, which would treat women with dignity. By preventing the ship from entering we are being censured, and kept from providing objective scientific information.
After the meeting we realize that it was only set up to recapture the media attention and misleading the public by claiming they are open for any debate.
In the middle of the night a tiny little anti-abortion rights movement gathered before the Figueira da Foz town hall to hang posters sponsored by Human Life International
The gathered participants were almost all men, and justified the lack of women by saying that the women were at home taking care of the babies.
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