By Evening Echo reporter David Linnane

The “slaughter of the innocents” needs to be stopped, according to a group who are picketing Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Mick Barry’s Cork office this morning due to his pro-choice stance

Led by John O’Donovan, a group of four men are protesting against Mr Barry and his party colleauge Cllr Fiona Ryan, who both support the Eighth Amendment being repealed.

Although Mr Barry has been openly pro-choice for years, a number of people have claimed in recent days that he did not reveal his stance before he was elected earlier this year, and his office vandalised last week, with “BABY KILLER OUT!” spray-painted on the wall.

“Judging by the reaction here this morning, there is huge anger against Mick Barry. People that voted for Mick Barry, people that said they would never vote him again. This was not on his literature, that he was pro-abortion on demand. People are outraged over it,” said Mr O’Donovan.

“He told us that this was his agenda all along. This is his one ambition, to repeal the Eighth Amendment and get abortion on demand in this country. Well, he’ll have a hell of a fight on his hands.”

Mr Barry has dismissed the claims that he hid his stance on abortion, has been a regular campaigner, and included it in his literature earlier this year. The right to choose was also included in the AAA’s election manifesto.

Mr O’Donovan defended himself and others from criticism that this was a protest against abortion led by men, with no women involved.

“Somebody has to speak for the rights of the unborn. Men take part in the act of conception. We have a right. We have a say. Even if I haven’t got kids, that doesn’t matter.

Someone has to speak up for this global war against the unborn children, which I call the slaughter of the innocents. Somebody has to speak up. Just because there is there or four men here today, so what. If there is women who want to come up, I have no problem with women,” he said.

All male anti-choice picket of my constituency office today. Vile abuse shouted at two women who had the audacity to challenge them. pic.twitter.com/5Xa2PZrnvl

— Mick Barry TD (@MickBarryTD) October 3, 2016

Mr O’Donovan erroneously said the Mr Barry is the first member of the Oireachtas to support “abortion on demand,” although many other TDs and Senators have long held pro-choice views.

“To me, he is the first member of parliament, a newly elected member that’s been trying to get in for a long time, and he has now openly admitted that he believes there should be no limits on abortion, that a woman should be able to have an abortion right up to the very end. We have a TD in Dáil Eireann now, who is out of the block straight away, and he believes we hould have abortion on demand. Well, I certainly don’t want abortion on demand in my country,” said Mr O’Donovan.