Sawt Falasteen - Assisted dying campaigners, opponents rally at UK parliament

Around 100 demonstrators wearing pink T-shirts and hats gathered in Parliament Square holding placards reading "Give me choice over my death", "My life my death my choice" and "Dying people need choice".

A roughly equal number gathered outside one of parliament's entrances waved their own placards with slogans such as "Kill the bill, not the ill", "Assist us to live not die" and "Not dead yet".

One man operated a huge effigy of a judge brandishing a syringe.

London psychiatrist Graeme Lamb, 61, told AFP he supported the bill because he wanted his sick brother to have a "dignified" and pain-free death.

"My brother has motor neurone disease. He is going to die an awful death and he wants to have the choice to die at a time of his choosing and when it is not so distressing to all those around him," he told AFP.

"The alternative is people are forced to take their own lives earlier," he said.

Tighe Twomey, 62, a retired teacher from Cork city in Ireland said it was about autonomy for those faced dying in pain.

"I think people should have a choice to decide if their lives are unbearable, to end their lives with dignity on their terms," he said.

- 'We have to treasure life' -

Opponents of the proposed legislation, some wearing masks, spoke about the sanctity of life and fears the legislation might be abused.

Jude, a 37-year-old digital marketing worker said she worried about the sick and elderly succumbing to pressure to end their lives.

"My mum is disabled and she already feels she is a burden," she said.

"I think there would be a lot of people who would feel that their family think they are a burden and that their life is in the way of other people," she added.

Another man who gave his name as James and held a placard reading "Don't ask doctors to be killers" said he felt very strongly that medics would be forced to end people's lives if the bill became law.

The 23-year-old from Luton, who preferred not to give his occupation, said there should be limits to what doctors are required to do when treating the terminally ill.

They should "provide care, do all they can but not to the point of killing patients", he said.

Linette, 53, a local government worker from London said her opposition was underpinned by her Christian faith but that she also feared any new law would be open to misuse and could end up being applied to others, not just the terminally ill.

"I just believe that we have to treasure life in whatever form," she said.

"I also believe that if this bill goes through it will be abused in years to come," she added.

- Die with 'dignity' -

Under the proposed bill, any person wishing to die would need to have a life expectancy of fewer than six months and get their decision signed off by a judge and two doctors.

Some opponents say improvements to palliative care should be made before any such move is considered.

Supporter Lamb, whose brother has motor neurone disease, said he would argue that other issues should not stand in the way of the bill's main objective.

"It is about dignity. My brother cannot move. He has to be hoisted in and out of bed and various commodes and there comes a time when it is too much."

He said he did not wish to prevent anyone else taking a different path at the end of their life.

"I totally support people who make a different choice. All I want is for them not to impose their choice on the rest of us," he added.

But wheelchair user Lisa Hammond said she feared that however well-intentioned the proposals might be, there would inevitably be a "slippery slope".

"They are adamant that it (the bill) has got nothing to do with us but we are the people who are on the frontline of medical discrimination," said the 46-year-old actress and writer, who suffers chronic pain.

"I believe there would be massive coercion. It doesn't sound good to me," she added.

R.AbuNasser--SF-PST