BOWMANVILLE, Ont. - Pro-choice activists staged a "die in" on Saturday at the office of International Development Minister Bev Oda in Bowmanville, Ont.

They said they're upset the Harper government refuses to include funding for abortions in a maternal health initiative to be presented at next month's G20 meetings in Toronto.

A spokeswoman for the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics said a couple of dozen people staged a peaceful protest in front of Oda's constituency office.

Demonstrators covered the front entrance of the office with coat hangers and read a eulogy for the estimated 70,000 women in developing countries who die every year from unsafe abortions, Michelle Robidoux said in a telephone interview.

Office staff weren't there to see the rally, but protesters left a statement at the office about why they're concerned about the initiative and why it should be reversed, said Robidoux.

Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan said in a phone interview following the protest that these type of demonstrations waken people up.

"It's clear that there's a momentum beginning to build with some folks that are close to the Conservative Party, and even some within the Conservative Party are talking about the possibility of having a vote in the House of Parliament, so that could be extremely detrimental to the rights of women," said Ryan.

On Thursday, RCMP estimated about 10,000 people including priests, ministers, nuns and even monks rallied on Parliament Hill calling for an end to abortion, with some Tory MPs urging them to reopen the bitter debate on the issue.

Dean Del Mastro, an Ontario Tory, was among those who said Thursday he's ready for a renewed abortion debate in the House of Commons.

"People get spooked by the other side being mobilized, if the right of the country begins to mobilize on abortion, it could scare some politicians and they vote the wrong way," said Ryan.

The OFL leader called Saturday's protest "a shot across the bow" to make it clear that the labour movement and the women's movement are mobilizing like they did in the 1960s, '70s and the 80's. He said back then, they created a massive coalition to pressure government to maintain a woman's right to choose.

"It's just to send a signal we're not about to allow the Conservatives -- the Conservatives and the Neanderthals -- to march us back to the stone age when it comes to reproductive rights," said Ryan.

He said further demonstrations are planned for June.