Bpas, Britain’s largest abortion provider, has delivered a petition to Downing Street asking the government to introduce “buffer zones” around abortion clinics intended to stop the display of images that show the reality of abortion.
Displays
Abortion providers have become increasingly unsettled by the displays of Abort 67, a group which educates the public about the reality of abortion.
Abort 67 often set up their displays outside abortion clinics to provide information that is withheld from women by the clinics.
The images show the humanity of the unborn child and the violence that abortion does to the baby in the womb.
The proposed buffer zones are an attempt to stop such displays from being set up outside abortion clinics.
Peaceful
Abort 67 volunteers stand peacefully outside the clinics. They engage in conversation with men and women and individuals who do not wish to engage walk past.
However, they are often publicly accused of blocking people’s way and harassing women, claims which Abort 67 workers strongly deny.
“It is rather telling that Erika who started the petition calling for buffer zones has never actually seen one of our displays for herself,” said Ruth Rawlinson of Abort 67.
“The only thing she had to refer to was [blogger] Sunny Hundal's video of the shouting pregnant woman trying to shame one of our post-abortive volunteers whilst our volunteers stood utterly peacefully.
“This woman's verbally abusive behaviour is somehow then translated as us harassing and intimidating women.”
Lawful
In 2012 a District Judge at Brighton Magistrate’s Court cleared two members of Abort 67 of all charges after they were arrested for holding a display outside an abortion clinic near Brighton.
The judgment made it clear that Abort 67’s displays are lawful.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said:
“The abortion lobby is clearly rattled by Abort 67’s displays because they show the reality that abortion clinics cover up — that abortion does violence to the unborn child.
“Abort 67 members don’t have to say anything when standing outside clinics. The pictures say it all for them.
“If freedom of speech and expression is to remain in tact, the government must reject calls for buffer zones. If certain forms of expression and speech are limited to certain places, then it ceases to be true freedom of speech and expression.”
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