Thousands Rally Across Germany to Demand Abortion Legalization

Protesters in Berlin and Karlsruhe call for the removal of Paragraph 218, which criminalizes abortion under German law.

Demonstrations in Berlin and Karlsruhe attracted a combined estimated 7,000 participants, with calls for the unconditional repeal of Paragraph 218 of the German Penal Code.
Paragraph 218 criminalizes abortion but allows it within the first 12 weeks if preceded by mandatory counseling; protesters demand full decriminalization and access without restrictions.
Over 100 organizations, including Amnesty International and Doctors for Choice, supported the protests under the campaign 'Abtreibung legalisieren – jetzt!' ('Legalize abortion – now!').
Smaller counter-protests occurred, with isolated incidents of verbal altercations and one arrest in Berlin for disrupting the demonstration and assaulting a police officer.
The protests coincide with ongoing parliamentary debates on a reform proposal by the Green Party and SPD to remove abortion from the Penal Code, though activists argue the plan falls short of international standards.