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

This is appalling, those poor women. Sorry for being dense, but can non-Ealing residents sign? I used to run petitions aimed at geographical areas and people would often sign who shouldn't, and it was a pain, frankly. So just want to be sure I'd be helping if I signed.

Hi, you're not being dense at all. The council rules are that it should only be signed by people who work or live in Ealing. Although large numbers of signatures would show that there is a lot of support, I think that if the number of local signatories is outweighed by non-residents the councillors might try to claim that it is a national issue and so they should wait for the government to do something rather than taking action themselves.

I thought that might be the case. Thanks for clarifying. Have been that petition organiser, and I know that at times, not every signature is helpful!

I will sign the change.org one, and wish you all the best with this. It makes me so angry, it really does.

This makes me so angry. I accompanied a friend to this clinic and thankfully there were no demonstrators on the day.

Ealing residents DH and I have signed. I will see if I can come out and join Sister Supporter some Saturday morning as well.

Signed. I live nearby. If I'd been faced with this bunch when I needed an abortion 8 years ago I might not have been responsible for my actions.

And just to say I too have had a termination of a much-wanted pregnancy because it turned out to be an extremely complex and risky one that, for the sake of my existing DC, I did not feel I could continue. Thankfully there were no protesters at the BPAS clinic I attended, I'm not sure what DH would have done.

They were out in force again this morning so please keep signing the petition and passing on to your friends.

ealing.cmis.uk.com/ealing/ePetitions/tabid/96/ID/38/src/2/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

From the looks of the pictures they'll all be dead pretty soon-at least it doesn't look as if they have cross generational support!!