Pro-choice rally.

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The opposition to the one I photographed last week.

The anti-abortion rally last Sunday was rather a sombre affair. Preppy looking children marched forward with long banners in front of their encouraging parents who in turn would show off their fertility by balancing as many toddlers on their shoulders as was physically possible. The backdrop to the stream of people was provided by a fanatical type older woman holding crudely enlarged photographs of aborted foetuses.

Today's rally was no celebration of death, however, quite the opposite. I've ne'er seen a rally so bubbling with life. The thousands strong crowd carved it's way slowly down Calle San Bernardo with a rainbow of colours. I stood at the front and let the people stream past me; purple of the feminists, followed by the red of the communist and socialist parties, a touch of black for the anarchists, orange for the Latin American women in Spain, green for the eco-warriors, and a giant papier-mache vagina carried on a podium like some Hindu goddess covered in flowers, just to finish it off.

As the crowd turned onto Gran Via I muscled my way down to the front of the press-pack to get some shots. I had to crouch because some older woman was huffing and puffing at anyone who got in the way of her iPad. She threw her handbag on the ground and started nudging in next to some Reuters video-journalist. I didn't want to mess with this one. But then my leg started to cramp up. Oh Jesus what fresh hell is this?!, I thought,the only way I can get rid of this is by standing up, but if I stand up I'm gonna get skelped round the lug .

So I stayed crouched down for what felt like an eternity while I pretended to take photographs, trying with all my might not to let a great audible cry of pain ruin the performance.


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