Borndiep heads back home
For the last time the Portuguese shuttle boat visits the Borndiep in international waters to brings the last supplies before the ship will sail back to the Netherlands later that afternoon. It is the last opportunity for journalists to see the ship.
At 1PM as a final attempt the Captain of the Borndiep radios Aveiro, a harbor to the north of Figueira da Foz. This is to see if the harbour master will let Borndiep into the Aveiro harbour despite the warships that trail it. Unfortunately the harbour master does not reply to the call, and Borndiep cannot enter. According to the ruling last Monday by the judge Dr Maria Helena Canelas, Women on Waves theoretically can enter a harbour if the harbour master grants permission. However, the situation with the Portuguese Ministry of Defence and the decision made by Paulo Portas, make this impossible.
Since we have been able to reach out to a lot of women by announcing and publishing the Misoprostol protocol, there is not much use for the ship in Portugal anymore.
Being out in international waters for more than two weeks and not being able to sail into Portuguese territorial waters was very disappointing for the crew but they have succeeded to reopen the discussion on legal abortion in Portugal.
After the Portuguese shuttle boat returns, there is a meeting of Portuguese social movements, women’s groups, labour unions. More than 100 people have come to Figuira da Foz from all over Portugal to show their support.
After the meeting is the opening of a project of two of Portuguese well-known painters Mario Silva and Quim Madeira; the mobile exhibition “Barco aberto�? with portraits of 300 anonymous women in a container on a truck.
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