Harassment of women using the Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Mattock Lane, Ealing, London, W5

[betty62]

Hi, some of you might have seen the article in the Ealing Times about the anti-abortionists who hold a daily vigil outside of the clinic on Mattock Lane, and anyone who walks down there will have noticed them: they are the people with the laminated pictures of embryos, the condemnatory signs, inaccurate leaflets and pink and blue rosaries that they offer to the women going into the clinic. There is a counter-group to the anti-abortionists who want the council to take action to stop the vigil on the grounds that the participants are causing harassment, alarm and distress to the women using the clinic and they have launched an e-petition with Ealing Council asking them to take action to remove them. The petition is not about the rights and wrongs of abortion, and everyone agrees that the anti-abortionists have the right to their views, it is simply that they should not be expressing their views in that place. If you agree that the harassment of women who have made the choice to have an abortion is wrong, and live or work in Ealing, please sign the petition and let your friends know - here is the link. Thanks.

ealing.cmis.uk.com/ealing/ePetitions/tabid/96/ID/38/This-petition-calls-for-Ealing-Council-to-end-the-persistent-presence-of-the-anti-abortion-vigil-outside-the-Marie-Stopes-Reproductive-Centre-on-Mattock-Lane-Ealing.aspx

[betty62]

ealing.cmis.uk.com/ealing/ePetitions/tabid/96/ID/38/This-petition-calls-for-Ealing-Council-to-end-the-persistent-presence-of-the-anti-abortion-vigil-outside-the-Marie-Stopes-Reproductive-Centre-on-Mattock-Lane-Ealing.aspx

sorry, the link didn't copy properly.

[PoochSmooch]

If I were a resident, I would totally sign. I really hope there are a few people on here who can sign.

I really despise clinic pickets

[NoLoveofMine]

My friends and I have been down to challenge this particular vigil a couple of times. Everyone in my household has signed this and the group set up to campaign on this sounds fantastic!

[AssassinatedBeauty]

I would also sign if I were a resident. It's appalling that this is allowed to happen.

[NoLoveofMine]

It is appalling. I've passed them many times and they're horrendous (mostly seem to be men although there are some women who join them), they stand directly by the entrance and thrust leaflets at people, have the images described lined along the wall of the clinic and also have others staring directly at the entrance from the green by it.

[betty62]

Here are a few photos of them in action, The pillar that the priest is leaning against is the entrance to the clinic.

[HeyRoly]

Give your baby a present: a birthday

OMFG

[InglouriousBasterd]

They are fucking appalling and one of them got a mouthful of abuse from me last time I went past. Not even sorry.

[TheCrowFromBelow]

He should be ashamed of himself.

[NoLoveofMine]

Glad to hear it InglouriousBasterd. They were extremely dismissive of my two friends and I, unsurprisingly, but we very much left them in no doubt as to our sentiments. One of the people in those photographs was present (always seems to be when I've seen them) but just refused to engage.

[EngagedWithALeaf]

Signed and bumping - this is horrible!

[anon97528996]

These fucks are vermin. I picked my friend up from this clinic for obvious reasons and they couldn't resist sticking the knife in on her way out. Needless to say the police were called, we are feisty.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

Signed. I don't think it matters if you are not a resident.

[M0stlyBowlingHedgehog]

If I lived locally I'd be tempted to go down there with a big placard and an arrow on it pointing to them with the slogan "some people make me support abortion up to 364 weeks!"

[NoLoveofMine]

Hedgehog

There is a fantastic local group who are opposing them regularly which I imagine betty62 knows more about. They've had counter demonstrations and regularly go to support the clinic's users, garnering a lot of local support.

[StealthPolarBear]

That doesn't really make sense and is vaguely threatening. Better to retain the moral high ground imo which the anti-anti-abortionists have in abundance

[GoonBridge]

Can't they get an injunction to move them away from the entrance?

[NoLoveofMine]

The only people being threatening are those holding the vigil. When I've attempted to engage with them I've been very polite though met with quite the opposite.

[M0stlyBowlingHedgehog]

Born of hyperbole and anger, stealth. Remember that if these people got their way, women would die as a result from unsafe backstreet abortions.

But you're right. An arrow with "I'd call you a cunt, but you lack the warmth and depth" would probably get the message across better.

[StealthPolarBear]

I meant the comment about abortion up to 364 weeks. Agree the anti abortion lot are threatening to people who are vulnerable

[betty62]

The group that I am part of, Sister Supporter, holds a quiet counter-protest every Saturday morning, and occasionally during the week if we can. We have placards and pink high-visibility pro-choice vests and try to make it clear that we are there to stop the harassment of the women. We don't engage in arguments with the vigilers as we think that wouldn't help the users of the clinic as it is bad enough that they have to pass by them without walking into an argument between two groups of people. We are gathering evidence of the harassment that we see that we are going to give to the council when this is discussed at a full council meeting. There is a Sister Supporter Facebook page if people wanted to look it up and you are welcome to join us on a Saturday morning.

[PoochSmooch]

Not sure if this is a cheap shot, but not one person in those photos is likely to be in the position of needing an abortion, are they?

[PoochSmooch]

I should add: nor could I be. So maybe I get to make the cheap shot.

[PoochSmooch]

Oh, crap, cross post with you Betty! I was talking about your first photos.

[GoonBridge]

It's not a cheap shot, PoochSmooch. It is par for the course.

Can legal action be taken to ban them, betty?