Post date: May 05, 2013 4:42:27 PM
Thousands of protesters rally against gay marriage in Paris, ten days after theFrench parliament passes legislation to enact the measure.
PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 5, 2013) (REUTERS) - Thousands demonstrated in Paris on Sunday (May 5) against the same-sex marriage law voted for by lawmakers in the lower house of the parliament ten days ago.
Thousands of protesters gathered also in major provincial cities in France on Saturday and Sunday.In Paris, a sit-in of the pink and blue movement was organised in a wealthy area of the capital, far away from another protest held by the left front party at the Bastille square.
The opponents of gay marriage and filiation (recognising the legal status of the relationship between family members, particularly a parent and child) said they had not given up with the vote of the law.
This new wave of protests aims to show that the movement "Manif pour Tous" ("Demonstration for All") is not weakening, leading the head of the movement, a humorist calling herself Frigide Barjot, to say she was considering having candidates at local elections in certain French towns in 2014.
"As long as the law is not adopted, nothing is done. Apart from that, it seems that even if the law is adopted, what is going on here is the beginning of a large mobilisation which goes far beyond the gay marriage, as it is planned by the law," said a demonstrator, Marie-Claire d'Hautefeuille.
Among the demonstrators, a number of people in their 60's said they were worried for the future generations who will have to suffer this law.
"I think that selling off marriage like this, in a way where it has no meaning anymore, I am talking about the civil marriage, is not good for some children who will suffer of it. I am opposed to that," said Edouard Damestoy, a grandfather.
The critics are appealing to the Constitutional Council to reject the law on May 16.
French opponents of same-sex marriage and adoption have staged several huge demonstrations in Paris and elsewhere in France.
The leaders of the movement have called for another march, national this time, inParis on May 26th, to try to force the government to back down even though the law has passed.
"Marriage for all" was one of Francois Hollande's campaign promises.
Thanks to the left's strong majority in parliament, the law (also called the "Taubira law" because of the name of Justice Minister Christiane Taubira) passed by a solid margin on April 23rd.