A few thousand anti-abortion activists marched through the streets of the Canadian capital Ottawa on Thursday to oppose this right which, in the neighboring country, is threatened by an upcoming decision by the Supreme Court of the United States.

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"The leak of the US Supreme Court document in the Roe versus Wade case has suddenly blown up the issue of abortion here in Canada," Pete Baklinski, spokesperson for the Life Campaign Coalition, told AFP. and organizer of the march.

Many demonstrators held up signs proclaiming: "Pray to end abortion" or "I am a human being".

“I hope we are at a turning point” in history, Emily Helferty, 23, told AFP, taking part in the march with her parents. “A lot of people have been praying for this for a long time,” she added.

As on the other side of the border, the right to abortion is not protected by law in Canada, but by case law with the "Morgentaler" judgment of January 1988.

In front of them, a small but loud group of counter-demonstrators, mainly made up of women, chanted “Our body, our choice”.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that “discussions (were) still ongoing” about the development of a possible law to regulate this medical procedure in the country.

“This is a time when the threat of a potential reversal in the United States worries women in Canada and around the world,” he said, not closing the door on possible legislation.

The day before, as a sign of its desire to facilitate the right to abortion in Canada, its government injected 3.5 million Canadian dollars (2.58 million euros) to improve access to pregnancy termination services.

A discussion on abortion was also invited Wednesday evening at the debate of the candidates for the post of leader of the Conservative Party. Only Leslyn Lewis, the only woman in the race of six candidates, was openly opposed to abortion.