Anti-abortion groups have hi-jacked the space behind the pro-life protesters standing near clinics in Glasgow.
By Democrat reporter
BBC Scotland is reporting that the MSP responsible for the introduction of ‘buffer zones’ near abortion clinics has hailed the first day of the new legislation as “crucial”.
Green MSP Gillian Mackay was behind the bill which prevents anti-abortion protesters from gathering within 200m (656ft) of clinics where the procedure is carried out.
However, pro life campaigners are appealing that the new law breaches Freedom of Speech legislation already in place and impinges on the public’s right to protest.
But the issue has turned nasty on the ground with the pro abortionists having hi-jacked the space for posters on the fence where the pro-life campaigners claim they engage in silent prayer (compare the two pictures on this page).
The Catholic Church’s official position on abortion is that every abortion is a moral evil, and this position has been unchanged since the 1st century. The Church teaches that the right to life of every innocent human being is a fundamental part of a civil society and its laws, and that society has a responsibility to legally protect the unborn.
One Pro-Life supporter said: “I think the posters which have been imposed above ours give a clear indication of who the aggressors and intimidators are in this matter. The politicians who voted for this new law have been duped.”
The zones, which are live from today, were introduced as a result of Mackay’s Safe Access Zones Scotland Act, external, which was passed in June with the support of 118 MSPs from across the Chamber.
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie has been asked how she voted. She said: “The legislation was brought forward by Gillian Mackay, Scottish Green MSP in response to the increasing concerns of staff and women about intimidation outside abortion clinics.”
The law aims to stop the harassment of patients. There are now safe access zones at 30 health facilities around the country.
Green MSP Gillian Mackay has campaigned for a number of years
The clinics affected by the bill include the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh and Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
Within the ‘buffer zones’, it is a criminal offence to behave in ways that could influence the decisions of women and staff to access services.
Stopping women and staff from entering the clinics or otherwise causing alarm, harassment or distress will also be an offence.
Anyone who breaks the new Safe Access Zone laws could be fined up to £10,000 or an unlimited amount in more serious cases.
Police Scotland will be responsible for enforcing the legislation.
Speaking as the laws came into force, Mackay said: “This is a crucial day for reproductive rights and healthcare in Scotland.
“I hope that it will be the end of the intimidation and harassment we have seen of people who are accessing healthcare.”
She added: “Right from the first moment I saw footage of the protests, I could see how much damage they were doing and how many people were being impacted by them. I knew that I had to do everything I could to stop them.
“Over the days and weeks ahead, I will be working with the Scottish government to ensure that patients and staff know where protesters can and can’t be so that they can report any activity that is against the law.”
Turning point
Mackay praised the work of campaign groups such as Back Off Scotland, who supported her legislation, and also thanked the women who shared their “often difficult and traumatic stories” of protests outside clinics.
She said: “I hope that this is a turning point and the beginning of the end of the protests, and that nobody else will have to endure them.”
The Scottish government had also supported Mackay’s legislation, with the SNP’s women’s health minister, Jenni Minto, left, saying: “The introduction of Safe Access Zones is a crucial milestone in protecting women’s abortion rights.”
The minister added: “No one has the right to interfere in women’s personal medical decisions and the law now makes that abundantly clear.”
She praised Mackay and others who campaigned for the change, paying tribute to “the women who showed incredible courage in speaking up and sharing their experiences during the Bill process”
Minto said: “The new zones of 200m (656ft) around all abortion services will help ensure women have safe access to healthcare – free from intimidation. This law is about protection for women at a time when many will feel incredibly vulnerable around taking a deeply personal and difficult decision.”
Similar legislation will come into force in England and Wales on 31 October.