Thousands march in Spain to challenge diversity lessons in schools

Thousands marched to defend the right of parents to withdraw their children from diversity lessons (Photo: Evangelical Council of Murcia)

Thousands of people marched in Spain last week to challenge LGBT diversity lessons in schools.

Around 5,000 people took part in the march in the south-eastern city of Murcia under the banner of "our children belong to us". 

The slogan for the march was a response to Spain's Education Minister, Isabel Celáa, who is reported to have said that "no one should commit the mistake of thinking that children belong to their parents". 

The march comes after Spain's left-wing coalition government said it would overturn the right of parents in Murcia to withdraw their children from diversity lessons.

The government told Murcia to overturn the opt-out within a month, saying that "this sort of conscientious objection is not covered by the law". 

Organisers of the march said they were calling for an "education free of gender ideology", Evangelical Focus reports. 

Pastor Ángel Zapata, President of the Evangelical Council of Murcia, told Spanish newspaper Protestante Digital, that parents were prepared to march again to make their voices heard. 

"It has been an opportunity to go out and reclaim our role as parents. We will see what happens now, but parents are ready to fight this battle, and if there is a need for us to go back to the streets again, we will do so," Zapata said. 

News
Gloucester Cathedral to unveil stunning new pipe organ
Gloucester Cathedral to unveil stunning new pipe organ

Gloucester Cathedral has said that this year’s Organ Festival will be extra special, as it will see the unveiling of its brand new organ.

Religious freedom violations increasing in Nicaragua
Religious freedom violations increasing in Nicaragua

The situation has declined since 2018.

Päivi Räsänen calls for repeal of hate speech laws across Europe after shock conviction
Päivi Räsänen calls for repeal of hate speech laws across Europe after shock conviction

All copies of a decades old pamphlet are to be destroyed after Finland's former Minister of the Interior was convicted of hate speech - even though the law that convicted her did not exist at the time the pamphlet was published.

Gunmen in Nigeria kill 28 people in predominantly Christian area
Gunmen in Nigeria kill 28 people in predominantly Christian area

Gunmen on Sunday reportedly killed 28 people in a densely populated, predominantly Christian area of Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria, sources said.