PICS: Impressive Crowds Protest Today Against Religious Ownership Of Maternity Hospital

A protest outside the Department of Health building on Hawkins Street drew large crowds with posters and banners expressing their outrage over plans for the new maternity hospital.

People are shocked after it was announced during the week that the same order of nuns who ran the Magdalene Laundries are set to gain 'sole ownership' over the new maternity hospital set to be built near Elm Park in South Dublin. 

A Facebook event for the protest, which kicked off at 1pm today, stated that: "'No matter how many scandals are uncovered, it seems our government never learn the lesson - we DO NOT want the church providing, controlling, or involved in public healthcare. 

"To give a church body any controlling influence or ownership whatsoever in our new maternity hospital is an outrage. 

"Time to demand a secular republic, now, starting with our health service.'' 

Here's how the protest went down:

Simon Harris we won't wait! Separate the church and state #NationalMaternityHospital pic.twitter.com/lsZ7elOtEw

— Sheena Crean (@SheenaWalsh) April 20, 2017

Good crowd on Hawkins St. protesting. Where are you @SimonHarrisTD?? #NationalMaternityHospital #sistersofcharity pic.twitter.com/fw2L80WAAa

— Sinéad Ní Dhomhnaill (@sineadnidh) April 20, 2017

And more messages to @SimonHarrisTD pic.twitter.com/iK2Udiv5am

— Páraic Gallagher (@paraicgallagher) April 20, 2017

Office view. @UpliftIRL protest gathering outside Dept Health against #sistersofcharity for #NationalMaternityHospital. pic.twitter.com/NL4d4jEh6M

— Nicola McClafferty (@NikkiMcClaff) April 20, 2017

#repealtheeighth #separatechurchandstate#NationalMaternityHospital

???????? pic.twitter.com/TVXeFEnAFP

— OONAGH (@oonaghmurphy) April 20, 2017

Protesters gather outside Dept of Health to prevent ownership of #NationalMaternityHospital going to nuns @TodayFMNews pic.twitter.com/BJaptQP4Py

— Juliette Gash (@JulietteGash) April 20, 2017

An online petition to prevent the religious ownership of the hospital has already gathered over 60,000 signatures and can be signed here.

Header image: Sinéad Ní Dhomhnaill 

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