Thousands march for abortion rights in Ireland

• March sparked by dentist who died of blood poisoning after being denied an abortion
• Protest stopped at office of Prime Minister Enda Kenny
• About 100,000 people marched

DUBLIN (AP) — About 10,000 people have marched through Dublin and observed a minute's silence in memory of the Indian dentist who died of blood poisoning in an Irish hospital after being denied an abortion.

Saturday's protest stopped outside the office of Prime Minister Enda Kenny, where many lit candles and held pictures of Savita Halappanavar.

The 31-year-old died Oct. 28 one week after being hospitalized with severe pain at the start of a miscarriage. She was 17 weeks pregnant with her first child. Doctors refused her requests to remove the fetus until its heartbeat stopped four days after her hospitalization. Her widower and activists say she might have survived had the fetus been removed sooner.

Speakers at Saturday's rally demanded that the government guarantee women's right to abortion in life-threatening circumstances.