Wow 10,000 Join France's March for Life in Paris with Many Young Pro-Lifers also Calling for an End to Euthanasia



 Paris: 10,000 Join March for Life to Protest Euthanasia Bills

On January 18, approximately 10,000 demonstrators gathered at Place Vauban in Paris for the annual March for Life. The rally occurred just two days before the French Senate began deliberating two pivotal end-of-life bills. Participants carried slogans such as "Dignity, not death" and "Treat, don't eliminate," advocating for expanded palliative care over assisted dying.

The participants in the Paris March for Life are young: many children, students, and large families. The organisers deliberately created a joyful and festive atmosphere.

The date annually around Jan. 17, was chosen in memory of the adoption of the Veil Act named from the French Health Minister Simone Veil, at the time, of the law legalising abortion in 1975—this year’s edition focused entirely on the ongoing debates surrounding euthanasia. The bill introducing euthanasia and assisted suicide in France has been passed by MPs and is now due to be examined by senators. In 2024, France became the first and only country to enshrine abortion in its constitution.

Many buses came from the provinces (Occitanie, Lyon, Lille, East…), and foreign delegations (Italy, Germany, Netherlands, United States, Uganda, Spain) were also be present. Guests and speakers included: Members of the European Parliament Margarita de la Pisa Carrión and Laurence Trochu , Cornelia Kaminski , President of Alfa (Germany), and Monsignor Dominique Rey (Video above) , Bishop Emeritus of Fréjus-Toulon.

President Emmanuel Macron in his New Year’s address to the nation said, “We will see through the legislative work on the issue of dying with dignity,” he said at the time, eager to complete the long and drawn-out legislative process to legalise euthanasia, which has been held up for many months due to the turbulent political calendar, early elections, and successive changes of government.

Two bills are concurrent: one, highly consensual, on the promotion of palliative care; the other, more controversial, on the creation of ‘aid to die.’

The movement’s spokeswoman, Geneviève Bourgeois, a geriatrician, said she was alarmed by the “deadly movement that has been taking hold of the collective consciousness for more than fifty years.”

The protest featured diverse voices, including Maxence de Mentque, who lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spoke on the "joy of living despite disability." Religious leaders across several faiths have joined the opposition, warning that legalizing euthanasia could lead to "serious abuses" and undermine the healthcare system. Guillaume de Thieulloy, president of the march, told AFP that legalizing administered death would effectively mean "the death of palliative care."

 Summary 

  • The Event: Roughly 10,000 people marched in Paris on January 18, organized by the March for Life collective.

  • The Context: The march precedes a January 20 Senate debate regarding two bills: one focusing on palliative care and a more controversial bill proposing a right to assisted dying.

  • Key Themes: Demonstrators focused on the sanctity of life, with many citing their Christian faith. The central message was that suffering should be treated with medical care rather than ended through euthanasia.

  • Religious Opposition to Government: Leaders from the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities have issued joint warnings against the proposed reforms.

  • Next Steps: A formal vote on the legislation is scheduled for January 28.

  • Sources: https://thelifeinstitute.net/news/2026/paris-annual-march-for-life-puts-euthanasia-in-the-spotlight#

  • https://www.facebook.com/enmarchepourlavie

  • https://enmarchepourlavie.fr/qui-sommes-nous/

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