To think this isn't very nice ? ( Pro-life protestors)

[chattycaterpillar]

I am pregnant, 11 weeks, first pregnancy. Like all first time mother's, I am very worried about miscarriage.

Anyway, my booking appointment was changed to a phone appointment cos I had Covid at the time of the appointment. The midwife arranged for me to come in today, ( a week or so after isolation finished), so I could get my bloods/ Blood Pressure/ urine sample done etc.

The maternity centre is based in a community hospital that has a variety of NHS Community/ outpatient services attached, ( acute/ emergency treatments are at the main hospital across town). But the community hospital has maternity outpatients, mental health teams, counselling, STI testing, audiology, physiotherapy , dermatology services attached to it. It also has BPAS abortion clinic inside, ( which I didn't realise until this morning).

Anyway , a short distance from the hospital, when I was going in, there were about 8 signs with the most horrific images , ( very large), of dead foetus's etc. I had a leaflet thrust in my hand and the images, well for someone worrying about miscarriage, they were very upsetting.

AIBU to say whilst I understand termination is a controversial issue, it's completely out of order to force these images on members of the public ?

The midwife who did my bloods etc said I wasn't the first person who'd been upset by it, and that there was also a recurrent miscarriage clinic being run at the hospital so she imagined it would cause a lot of upset.

Never mind a vulnurable teenager or rape victim walking into the BPAS clinic being forced to see these images ?

I got talking to a lady in the waiting room who said she had experienced a stillbirth a few months before and found being confronted by these images incredibly distressing.

What I find baffling is the Government's reticence to introduce a national law to allow buffer zones around such clinics. They refuse to at the moment because it's a 'disproportionate response' and instead leave it in the hands of local Councils to enact local bylaws, a lengthy and apparently expensive process. This means that some women have the advantage of a buffer zone but only if you live in a Council which has gone through this process. If not, it seems to be just a case of tough luck. It's a horrendous situation.

And I agree with a pp - the term 'pro life' is nonsense. It's pro forced birth.

YANBU that's absolutely disgusting.

No way would I have accepted a leaflet from them.

When protesting takes the form of Mob vs Single Non-Political Person it should be outlawed under some sort of intimidation laws. I believe in peaceful protest, but the images of women going for (legal) abortions in the USA being harangued by crowds are terrible. We don't want that here.

I am disgusted that 2% of people (so, minimum of 2 of them) have said YABU.

I'm so sorry you were faced with this. It should be illegal IMO

Who are the 2% who voted YABu?

How about you actually put an opinion to your cowardly vote eh? No? Then fuck off.

OP yanbu. These people are vile.

My DP always says that these people aren’t actually pro “life” they’re pro birth, because no-one thinks of the bigger picture.

The PP who pointed out that this is not pro-lufe, its forced birth, is spot on. I would want to make myself a polite sign with an arrow pointing st the muppets, that just said "These people are ignorant bigots", and just stand next to them.

I'm sorry you had to go through that. I too think the government should impose exclusion zones.

Absolutely it should be a criminal offence. Intent to cause distress and alarm surely?

They are disgusting and there does need to be a law passed against them loitering outside sensitive facilities like they do

Unfortunately PALS can't do anything only the police have the authority to disperse them and as they aren't committing a crime they are allowed to do it.

(Even though it can be argued that they are harassing women, they will argue it's a legitimate protest.)

@WorraLiberty

YANBU that's absolutely disgusting.

No way would I have accepted a leaflet from them.

Tbh you are right. In hindsight I shouldn't have accepted the leaflet and should have said, "

I'm pregnant, I'm worried about having a miscarriage after a scare earlier in the pregnancy, the pictures on your leaflet are going to make things worse."

It all seemed a bit bizarre though, as they were trying to give leaflets to the majority of women going through the main entrance, and presumably most women were there were not there for either maternity outpatients or BPAS.

I took the leaflet without thinking, and now hope they don't take that as "evidence," of support for their cause.

It is totally abhorrent. Why 'pro-lifers' think that targeting vulnerable girls gives them the moral high ground, I have never worked out.

I find it absolutely disgusting. I do not believe for a moment that these people have any real commitment to supporting women to raise children, or in working on men's attitudes to respect, consent, child rearing and taking financial responsibility.

Appalling people who totally lack empathy.

Its disgusting behaviour! Luckily my local hospital won't allow them on hospital grounds. So they go just outside the gates, and luckily very few people will walk by them on their way in.

I did gave to have a go at my own dad after he shared something about with 12 week fetus on Facebook. It was more like a 25 week fetus, but so unnecessary!!

Don't blame yourself @chattycaterpillar it must be a huge shock to be accosted like that on the grounds of an NHS hospital. If you kept the leaflet I would be sending copies to PALS / Chief Exec / your MP and asking them to stop these groups from harassing women accessing medical treatment.

In hindsight I shouldn't have accepted the leaflet and should have said

I'm pregnant, I'm worried about having a miscarriage after a scare earlier in the pregnancy, the pictures on your leaflet are going to make things worse.

Or just "Fuck Off".

You don't need to explain yourself to anyone.

Horrible. I have no sympathy for them when they get abused or shouted at etc - well deserved. They're not good people despite the martyr status they give themselves.

I’m so sorry op.

I fucking hate these people with a passion. I suffered PTSD from a 20 week miscarriage and had a lot of complications so kept having to go back and forth to hospital. Nearly had a complete breakdown after seeing one of their awful signs that looked a bit like the boy I had lost.

They couldn’t give a fuck about those babies/fetus in the pictures. They just seem to think they can horrify/guilt women into not having full autonomy over their own bodies.

If a record wouldn’t hold me back I would egg the bastards every time I see them.

There absolutely should be exclusion zones. It's fucking horrendous and I'm sorry OP you had to walk through that.

Also there are some people voting YABU, I'd love to know why. Not one has spoken up on this thread with their opinion. Cowards.

They are horrible fuckers

Forced-birthers are revolting.

It is absolutely disgusting that these protests happen, I don't really understand why this is still a controversial issue. However, I think the point of these protests is to show upsetting images so that it will have an effect. They dont care if you're a rape victim or having a still birth or miscarriage. They don't care about women.

Why would you expect those people to give a sun blushed shit about women and their wellbeing?

Also wanted to add that I agree.

I think it says it all that not one if the 4% who cared enough to open this thread and vote ‘YABU’ has dared to comment. They know they are cowardly woman haters (yes, even if they are women themselves).

I’d lodge a complaint with the police - it’s a public nuisance and could cause harm and distress

YANBU, every woman has a right to choose, and shouldn't be abused if she decides to have an abortion.

And as you say, these people don't know what situation these women are in, victims of rape, pregnant teenagers etc who are already traumatised.

@TinLeaf

They’re not pro life, they’re pro forced birth.

They're not even anti-abortion.

Statistics show that countries with legal, safe abortion, free, available contraception and good women's rights, there are the fewest abortions and the ones that occur there are are safe.

In countries where abortion is illegal, sex education and contraception are lacking and women lack rights, there are thousands and thousands of unsafe, illegal and unnecessary abortions.

They're just misogynistic scum. They don't want to prevent abortions, they want to punish women for having sex, even rape.

@WhatWouldChristineCagneyDo

Sister Supporter on twitter have asked people to report to them anti choice presence at UK clinics, the 40 days of lent marks a ramping up of this kind of intimidation and harrassment.

To quote:

 As part of our campaign for national #bufferzone legislation, we are collecting evidence of clinic harassment from across the country and we need YOUR help!

Simply WhatsApp us any images and a description of what was happening with the time, location and date and we will add it to our ever-growing evidence base.

Please remember: anti-choice "protesters" can often be agressive and we do not recommend engaging with them in any way.

Their whatsapp hotline number is 07306 358247. Their twitter handle is @SisterSupporter.

That's good to know, thank you.

OP.