Horrible pro-life literature dumped on the pavement

[MrsMarigold]

This afternoon, there were some pro-life leaflets littering the pavement outside our house, quite a few, they had profoundly unpleasant images. AIBU to feel furious about this? Loads of children walk down the street and they could have caused a lot of distress. Also whatever your position in this debate they were absolute propaganda. Suffice to say I threw them in the nearest bin.

*day

It infuriates me that the Pro-Lifers only champion the cause of the unborn why not go and do something useful like support the thousands of living breathing children stuck in the care system through no fault of their own. They are the ones that need it.
Instead no they devote their time into trying to force women to have more unwanted babies to end up in the already overstretched system.
And then there are the Pro-Choicer's who don't mind abortion as long as it fits into one of their pre-decided reasons that are acceptable.
I really dont understand why people get so het up about people doing/making decisions for themselves that dont affect them. Its utter madness.
I am Pro-Choice it is completely and utterly the mothers decision regardless.
I agree it is sometimes sad for the men involved however until they can carry their own child the one with the uterus has the final say.

I am Pro-Choice it is completely and utterly the mothers decision regardless.

Completely agree. It's not their decision to make. It's the woman's and hers only.

YANBU. The bin is the only place they belong.

I have seen anti choicers out with their placards occasionally and I politely advise them to take it to the Houses of Parliament and see how they get on.

I actually think legal change isn't what they want though, it's more about a fucked up wish to punish women: for having the wrong kind of sex and pregnancy, behaving like the wrong kind of woman.

I read that some men that picket abortion clinics get off on knowing that the individual women they are judging will have had sex. Not so exciting for them to have to try to persuade an MP of the immorality of legally protected reproductive choice or bodily autonomy?

If they turn up in your area and make litter, obstruct the pavement with their plastic dollies, or upset and intimidate (as is the intent after all) ... call the non emergency police number and report it.

This goes especially if they are trying to get women away from health services (.. outside a maternity hospital FFS!) or they are filming, or are following patients to force conversation or leaflets on them. or showing their gory posters in a public place for kids to see.

The police that came out when it happened at work a few years ago were lovely and moved them on. We also emailed our local MP to let them know about the activity who replied and was supportive.

Ywonlybu if you didn't recycle them. Let them final be useful and of sone good.

It's trash. Glad you binned it. Such well considered arguments.

Mandatory

They should be called what they actually are: forced birthers. Assholes.

Pmsl at yellow and her well thought out argument.

Abortion is a topic I struggle with deep down I know that a woman has bodily autonomy and ultimately it's her decision to make....but then at the same time I struggle with the idea of abortion. I don't think it's so much the termination of an unwanted pregnancy that bothers me, it's the brutality of it. The way in which abortion is carried out really irks me. It's 2017. Surely there could be a way to carry out such a procedure that is less traumatic for the mother and less brutal towards the foetus
The way these hardcore "pro-lifers" go about their campaigning is utterly foul. Women making the choice to have an abortion aren't exactly just trotting off on their jollies are they?!! There's absolutely no need to make the experience any more traumatic for them by spouting their vitriol outside a hospital of all places

The way in which abortion is carried out really irks me. It's 2017. Surely there could be a way to carry out such a procedure that is less traumatic for the mother and less brutal towards the foetus

Wasn't traumatic for me at all. I took a pill, I went home, I had the equivalent of a heavy painful period. Back at work the next day.

I also think the rhetoric of abortion being traumatic isn't that helpful in itself either. I'm sure many women do find it traumatic and that's awful for them but equally many don't. I didn't at all.

How do you think abortions are carried out Eggy?

2-10 weeks is medical (tablet) and results in a heavy period. This is the least traumatic and according to Marie Stopes most terminations are done this way.

Obviously as the pregnancy progresses the procedure becomes more surgical but it has to I dont think there is any way around it.

I think making pro life demonstrations outside these clinics illegal would be the best way to reduce trauma for women.

Catsneezle this is what they've been doing here. Apparently they can stay as long as they don't cause harassment of others or some such.

I don't know if the day they went home the other night was a break for them or if they hopefully haven't returned. I do know they were removed from the original spot they wanted to protest at though.

I just think Jesus would have been of the opinion that their 40days would have been better spelt elsewhere. Like helping the homeless people who are tenapenny in the city centre that most people walk past for instance.

m.nottinghampost.com/petition-set-up-to-remove-anti-abortion-protesters-from-qmc/story-30189863-detail/story.html

I saw a bloke having a massive argument with Pro-choicers about the ethics and christian side of it. I recognised his name, then realised I used to go to the same church he attended with my Mum when I was younger. Made me glad I dont go anymore put it that way!

Away the police should take action if they are doing those things to approach and harass patients which are all harassment activities - plenty of laws against that.

If it's peaceful protest at a safe distance that is legally permitted ofc but not if it intimidates or obstructs anyone or is a public nuisance.

Oh yeah obviously I know the earlier it is, it's medically managed with pills, but it's the surgical route that turns my stomach I know it's necessary to the cause, but it's so brutal
I am pro-choice. A woman must make the decision for herself and I would never judge anyone for exercising her right to choose. I just don't like to think about what actually happens during those later abortions.

So many religious people of all faiths do lovely amazing things, including for women and children. It makes me of the ones that choose hassling pregnant women instead.

Just googled (not a lawyer!) and the existing legal protections are wide-ranging, I think our protesters were moved on under the harassment one:

The Public Order Act 1986 which makes it an offence to display words or images that may intentionally cause harassment, alarm or offence.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 which gives the police dispersal powers to prevent or stop members of the public being harassed, alarmed or distressed.

The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 which prohibits a person from pursuing a course of conduct which amounts to harassment of another person that is wishing to do something they are legally entitled to do.

Later terminations are also done medically. I don't know anyone that has had a surgical termination. My trust doesn't offer them unless medically required.

In. The. Bin.

Of course they don't care that actual real life children might be distressed by those images. They only care about unborn balls of cells in other people's bodies.