Praying Against Abortion: Deprivatization of Religion in Pro-life Protests

Anti-abortion clinic activism has been a common protest strategy within anti-abortion (pro-life) movements, especially in the US. In the post-socialist context, the anti-abortion activism has had a different path and has only recently moved from the institutional to the protest arena. As the movement operates in the public arena and physical public space, it uses religious symbols and practices in a way which blurs the lines between religious and secular. By analyzing activities of the “40 Days for Life” initiative in Croatia, specifically their use of religious symbols and practices during campaigns, we will examine how the anti-abortion movement deprivitizes religion and desucularizes the public space. In order to answer the proposed question, we have conducted empirical research using the ethnographic approach, i.e. the non-participant observation method. Data were collected during the 2021 spring and autumn annual prayer campaigns of the “40 Days for Life” initiative on six different protest locations in Croatia. Using the example of “40 Days for Life” activities in Croatia, we analyze how (1) religious objects and symbols are used, (2) individual and group praying activities are performed, (3) are the messages framed and most importantly how (4) public space is transformed into religious and political space.