Safe zones outside abortion clinics come into effect

From today, ‘safe access zones’ will be introduced to create a 150-metre-wide area outside the clinics to prevent anti-abortion activists from handing out leaflets, holding vigils and showing graphic images to women near the sites.

The protection zones will be introduced outside all abortion clinics in England and Wales to ensure women seeking abortions are better protected from harassment or fear.

The changes were made possible by the passage of a bill a year and a half ago, but the debate in parliament was so heated that draft guidelines were drawn up and the measures were postponed by a public consultation.

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Today, these limits will go into effect and end the kind of harassment perpetrated by anti-abortion activists. Nurse Kendall Robbins says she deals with it almost every day.

“We get yelled at when we come to work, we’ve had cases where they tried to physically block people coming in, singing hymns, images of the Virgin Mary, and sixteen people showed up for an hour or two,” Ms. Robbins said.

“Women coming in are vulnerable and making some of the toughest decisions they’ve ever had to make. It’s really upsetting that people are calling them names or judging them.”

Police will now have the discretion to review each case individually, but examples of intimidation could include handing out anti-abortion leaflets, protesting abortion rights, or shouting at individuals trying to access abortion services.

Right To Life campaigner Madeline Page is particularly concerned that this could include silent prayer and holding vigils. She says protesters are trying to offer support to women, despite often approaching them at a very vulnerable time.

She said: “I don’t think it’s fair to say that not every woman who goes to an abortion clinic is happy about it. I think pro-choicers would agree with me on that too. And so, if they can be given resources or anything to help them make a different choice, then I think that’s something that we really should do, regardless of which side of the argument you’re on.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidelines state that a person carrying out activities within a zone, such as silent prayer, “will not necessarily commit an offence”.

It adds: “Prosecutors will need to consider not only all the facts and circumstances of the specific conduct, but also the context in which the conduct occurs.”

The Home Office cited silent prayer as one of several examples of behavior that could lead to an offence, along with holding vigils and handing out anti-abortion leaflets.

Rupa Huq is a Labor MP who not only campaigned for these changes but also brought the original legislation to Parliament.

“It’s actually quite an emotional moment because women have been fighting about this for years. And in my own environment from the 1990s, I remember as a child seeing the harassment that was happening,” she said.

“So it’s high time and that’s what happens when you have a Labor government. MPs overwhelmingly voted for this under the Conservatives, but they dug in their heels and found every excuse to cover this up.”

Legislation creates buffer zones around abortion clinics in Scotland came into force in September, while in Northern Ireland they have been in force for a year.