..to be disappointed that plans for buffer zones outside abortion clinics have been shelved.

[UpstartCrow]

''Sajid Javid has rejected calls to introduce buffer zones outside abortion clinics to prevent “upsetting” protests because most protestors just pray and hand out leaflets. ''

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/09/13/sajid-javid-rejects-plea-introduce-buffer-zones-outside-abortion/
(needs a share token)

Sajid Javid has rejected a cross-party demand to introduce exclusion zones around all abortion centres in England and Wales, saying it would not be a “proportionate response” despite the harassment that takes place outside some clinics.

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/13/sajid-javid-rejects-call-exclusion-zones-outside-abortion-clinics-england-wales

Local councils have the power to introduce exclusion zones around clinics. But we've already campaigned for this.

FFS

The protesters I've seen (at 2 London clinics) specifically target women entering the building. In one case the local council has still done eff all to implement a promised buffer zone.

This is bad news. We're getting more and more like America: not a nation I'm keen to emulate.

It means that local protesters have to lobby each individual council to implement an exclusion zone, every time the protestors get too aggressive. Rather than just dealing with it once and for all.

Although, for me, even the protesters just being there praying and holding signs is far too much and completely wrong. Can you imagine if any other patients undergoing a legal medical procedure had to put up with that? If they want to change the law, protest to parliament or to their MPs.

Yy Assassinated

Can you imagine if people started protesting at the door of a GUM clinic (on the evils of using contraception) or outside a cancer centre (on the evils of Big pharma cancer treatments), or whatever.

There'd be a massive outcry.

I wonder if this has anything to do with keeping the DUP onside...

i know it's E&W and no NI (obviously) but ideologically any attempt to protect abortion rights makes extending abortion rights to NI more likely...

And who would police this?
Who would trample the individual rights to protest?
They are not stopping people using the facility are they?

Their should be a half mile exclusion zone around abortion clinics.

The protestor who take pictures of woman and put them on the Internet are particularly vile

I thought this one had been won?
Still - on the day we're discussing the DfE ignoring the safety of girls being raped in schools, I'm not surprised that the government are dismissing this as well. Women's and children's rights to safety, privacy and freedom from harassment have almost disappeared it seems.

No one is stopping these people from protesting. They don't have a right to intimidate and harass women going about their lawful business. "Not stopping them using the facility" is a very low bar to decide what constitutes harassment.

They can protest outside parliament or to their MPs, or on the high street of their local town. Whatever. Just not right outside clinics.

@Buster72

The police.

What about a woman’s individual right to go about her business without being harassed and intimidated.

No not physically stopping anyone but they are specifically intimidating women.

They are not stopping people using the facility are they?

well, yes they plausibly could be couldn't they.

A woman who had made up her mind to terminate a pregnancy, may be guilted into not doing so by these morons people. There have been reports that they physically try and stop people before the enter the building.

Places like this need to be safe spaces. Chances are most women entering the clinic, are vulnerable, making the hardest decision of their life, or going in for a consultation because they haven't made up their mind yet. They should be able to do this without being harassed by people, who think they know best.

I imagine 99% of women wish they didn't have to be there making that decision and they don't need people trying to change their mind at the last minute.

I know its freedom of speech but its entirely inappropriate.

It shouldn't be about stopping people from using the clinics; it should not be permissible to harass a woman using an abortion clinic.

Personally I'm absolutely fine with trampling on people's right to protest, when that 'protest' takes the form of harassing and intimidating women, in the hope of stopping them from getting the medical treatment they've chosen.

Ealing has one in place and the protesters lost their appeal against the ruling.

The ‘church group’ still protest (hold vigils?!) daily in the designated area for doing so. Users of the clinic can come and go without having to encounter the protesters.

No one rights are being infringed, all can go about their business without bothering each other.

I am not sure that everyone views this as a win, win, but that must be because they want to bother/upset others- do they have no case!

@Prawnofthepatriarchy

This does seem like a dangerous precedent to set. We could end up with exclusion zones around arms fairs to stop protesters upsetting international customers.

Because that's exactly the same...

So a man has come along to not only over ride many women’s wish to be left in peace, but also let us know that we’re “over reacting” to the situation.

Thanks dude, you really give a shit about women, don’t you? Sick of men throwing their weight around on women’s issues.

I walk past the Ealing clinic all the time, usually with a baby in a buggy. Being confined to a small area outside the exclusion zone has definitely put a kink in the protesters' enthusiasm for harassing women. There is still generally one or two of them there praying or handing out leaflets with their sign, but they are positioned too far away now to see who is approaching the clinic and it's possible to approach from the far side and not be seen by them at all. I still get the rage every time they try to hand me a leaflet but at least they can no longer specifically target women attending.

Sister Supporter is setting up new branches and working to lobby councils around the country. There is still work to be done. It shouldn't be necessary, but I guess it is.

Sajid Javid is a disgrace as Home Secretary. He warned a few days ago that there could be riots after Brexit if food supplies were disrupted. He said that it might be necessary to deploy troops on the streets to control hungry rioters. He didn't mention anything about making plans to try to ensure that people had enough food to eat. He'd rather shoot the hungry than feed them.

Yet again we women are the main sufferers from Tory policies. What do you expect from a Tory? Have you read this about WCA claimant suicide today? How much longer are we going to put up with this vile, venal, amoral, cruel government before we take to the streets to protest? Pass me that pitchfork...

Absolutely no problem with people protesting abortion, e.g. outside parliament to work towards getting the law changed. Fuck with patients attending at a medical centre? Get lost.

Yet again we see a lack of protection for vulnerable females. What a disgrace.

I dont believe human rights are safe with this govt, but I no longer trust any of the other parties either.

Assassinatedbeauty you do understand what a precedent is? If you ban people from protesting outside one venue, that can later be applied to other people at different venues. So yes it could lead to an arms fair having an exclusion zone.

OK Lovejoy, I'll bite. Here's a picture of arms sales protestors outside the DSO (government department). 1. they are outside a government department responsible for policy, not a medical facility 2. security is so tight that they are quite a long way from the entrance anyway 3. I can't see a single distressed person who only attended to buy a bazooka/be counselled about whether to buy a bazooka, being directly harassed.