18 May 1976
Source:
BG H12/351
By order of the Dutch minister of Justice Dries van Agt, on May 18, 1976, the police raided the abortion clinic Bloemenhove, and tried to seal the surgeries. Abortion clinics do not have legal status but have been tolerated semi-officially since 1971. That same night, activists plastered the walls of Parliament, where van Agt will eventually have to justify the action. Meanwhile, the clinic is occupied by activists who keep it open to the public. In 1981, following a heated public debate, Parliament passed the abortion bill.