*TRIGGER WARNING* Would you Agree with a law to ban pro life protesters outside abortion clinics?

[Tryingtoslim]

Just interested in peoples thoughts

We find it easy enough to ban people from turning up to hurl abuse and attack Royals (rightly) so they can do the same for this.

Yes, absolutely should be banned.

Yes I would. It's a difficult enough thing to do without having banner waving fanatics in your face outside the clinic, watching you go in and come out.

My opinions on abortion are irrelevant here. I considered not saying to not allow the thought of dismissing my opinion but fuck it. Pro choice all the way.

I think a woman has the right to access any legal medical procedure without harassment from any group or person or them forcing their opinions on another while accessing such procedures. (Even if I think the medical procedure is ridiculous)

I also believe in the right to protest (even if I think the stance of whatever they are protesting about is ridiculous)

Neither group is more important than the other so one of their rights shouldn't trump the other.

The compromise in this example is no one should be allowed to protest on the same street as the venue providing the procedure but can protest anywhere else they choose to. (Currently they are allowed as long as they are on the public street which forces women to have to walk through them while they shout at her.)

That means a person can access their legal medical procedure without having to be subject to protest or harassment and being allowed to maintain their right to medical privacy and the people protesting have the right to express their opinions to the general public but without the ability to harass but also the protection to not be accused of harassment.

Yes i dont believe its an easy decision for anyone to take and they shouldnt be made to feel worse

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

At the end of my marriage, I had to travel from Hertfordshire to Brighton for a surgical abortion. It involved arranging extra childcare for my son who was a toddler at the time, taking a day off work and an early morning train journey through London as the General Anaesthetic prevented me from driving home. It was a difficult day. I wanted more children but knew I'd be getting divorced and had serious concerns about how I'd look after the child I already had, without limiting my ability to care for him by having another baby. I had no one to accompany me and was quite unwell after the first train home needing to cross London for my connecting train.

If someone had been exercising their ’right’ to protest at the clinic, it would have made an already difficult set of circumstances needlessly more-so. It wouldn't have changed my mind.

Yes, absolutely.

100% in a heartbeat.
I once escorted a very distressed teenager through such a crowd when I was 8.5 months pregnant so she could attend an appointment. I was walking down the street and saw this girl crying and very distressed. Asked her what was wrong and she said she was scared to approach the clinic with the crowd outside it, that they had harassed her when she had previously tried. So I offered to walk her through. Disgusting excuses for human beings, all of them. I often think about that poor girl and how relieved she looked. God knows what brought her to that clinic's door. I am glad I was able to help in a small way. Tell you what though, the looks on their faces as I waddled barged through with my massive bump! Utter shock and horror Took great pleasure in telling them to go fuck themselves.

Definitely. They are abusing and bullying vulnerable women. Also health care workers.

So a unanimous feeling. Do you think that is representative of society’s feelings, or more based on the demographic of Mumsnet or just that those who don’t agree simply don’t want to post saying so? Interested in any thoughts

Yup. I became extremely attached to a flatmate, who was 6'4" and extremely strong and athletic, who was escorting his girlfriend to have an abortion. The protesters were being extremely vocal and he (having anger issues but in a good way, never with women, just with people who were abusive, like my ex as it turns out) ripped a placard out of one demonstrators hands and offered to insert it where the sun don't shine - protester ran off damned near shitting himself.

Nurses felt obliged to gently point out his behaviour was unacceptable, and then got him a coffee and selection of choccy biscuits.

I’d love to hear someone justify the targeted in person harassment of women in the name of free speech.

Yes without a doubt

Yes I would. I think they are in the minority in terms of their actions ,but maybe not in terms of belief. I'm not sure.

Yes, absolutely. 100%.

Despicable cretins.

I would.

People have the right to go about their lawful business without being harassed.

Yes

Yes 100 %

Yes

And they’re not pro life, they’re anti abortion and anti women

Yay. A unanimous response.
Yes from me as well.
Excellent post endoftheline

Yes, 100%

As to the question of whether MN views are reflective of society, obviously MN is predominantly female, but I personally think the pro-life lobby in mainland Britain is a minority niche group.
But then I am very firmly pro-choice and also very wary of dogma.

It's not a bloody protest. The women don't have a say in the legality and the doctors are performing their jobs.

I'd go to the barricades to defend their stupid, ugly, misogynist right to protest the decision makers. But not the women.

I used to be part of a program for ordinary people housing pregnant vulnerable teenagers in their homes. All the families were pro-choice even though WE were the ones supporting young women's rights to keep their babies if they chose to. Where are the pro-lifers offering to do the same?

Definitely

What I find telling is that many forced birthers seem happy to save lives by preventing women having bodily autonomy, but seem to give zero damns about the children once they're here, tend to be right wing and have an issue with the welfare state, don't care enough to do anything about poverty and social issues.

If they really cared about saving children then they could focus their attention on promoting a more equal society and an end to austerity. Somehow I don't see that happening

Yes and I've written to my MP about this more than once, as well as lobbied councillors to set up exclusion zones around clinics. In the UK the BPAS has been very vocal in this area, and they have an ongoing campaign that supporters can sign up to.