Buffer Zone at BPAS clinic in Twickenham

[RNBrie]

Richmond Council have fairly quietly launched a consultation into a buffer zone around the abortion clinic in Twickenham.

Here haveyoursay.citizenspace.com/community-safety/rosslyn-road/

The timing is interesting given the Home Office announcement that there won't be national legislation to prevent protests around clinics.

Thought I'd give the consultation a shout out - you don't have to live in the borough to respond to it.

haveyoursay.citizenspace.com/community-safety/rosslyn-road/

Clicky link

Done. It's horrendous that these kinds of protests are allowed.

Done.
I've regularly had to walk past this clinic and experienced the disgusting and upsetting sights these individuals think appropriate. They are often belligerent and aggressive, not only towards those entering the clinic. I've also seen women openly reduced to tears.

Done. Thanks for highlighting it.

Thank you, OP.

I grew up in Twickenham and went to school there so I have a connection ( I know you don’t need one).

Done and bumping. It's really important that we don't forget these older feminist campaigns as we are distracted fighting new ones.

Clinic protestors and those who defend them are the scum of the earth.

Nobody genuinely interested in preserving and valuing human life would choose to harass women at such a vulnerable time.

This article is useful;
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2018/09/government-rules-out-buffer-zones-despite-discovering-assaults-outside-abortion

''Javid has instructed Police and Crime Commissioners to offer services to people affected by crimes committed at abortion clinic protests regardless of whether they’ve been reported – but this still requires the women to take action when they’re feeling at their most vulnerable. The onus shouldn’t be on the women.

Harassment charges are also very difficult to bring when most of these women will only encounter the protester or protesters harassing them once or twice while they use the clinic.''

Q 13 is about The Equality Act. A buffer zone does not discriminate against people who hold the belief that abortion is wrong.
Not having a buffer zone discriminates against women trying to access healthcare.

Can I fill this out? I don’t live in the area but I’ve never used abortion services either.

Done. Thanks for pointing this out.

Just say you are a visitor to the area.

Done. Disgusting that protestors are allowed to stand outside and harrass women.

Done. It does read like they are willing people to support the exclusion zone.

Done. I have walked past there once or twice and the protesters are utterly abhorrent.

Useful info about the consultation here in case anyone undecided or not sure what to write

e-voice.org.uk/reclaimrosslynroad/consultation/

Done and bump

Done

Done!

I think it raises some pragmatic concerns. Who pays for the buffer zone? Presumably it has to be policed by security staff or at least CCTV and some threat of consequences to those who breach the zone? Again presumably this is why there won't be national legislation concerning it. Does it have implications for other protests? What kind of activity is then legally protected from protest?
I don't like those kind of protesters but it does raise a few questions.

I would guess it will be policed in the same way other exclusions are policed - if someone if found to be breaching the exclusion, the police will be called and they can be prosecuted. It does't require security guards, cameras or anything other than normal policing.

Bump.

Currently what happens if the police are called is that they say they have no powers to intervene. The home office have been saying that existing powers are sufficient but the police have been disagreeing.

If a clinic has a PSPO then they can call the police if the protesters appear and the police can move them on - to a designated area if there is one or just disperse them if not. In reality this will mean that staff at the clinic have to call the police and they will send someone, I don't think its "policed" actively.

PSPOs are limited to specific behaviours in a specific location so won't impact any other sort of protests anywhere else. The legal requirement to have a PSPO is quite high.

@Turph

You have hit upon the dilemma.

Buffer Zones are rare because they clash with lawful rights to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly. The state is expected to facilitate peaceful protests and to that end:

• the police have to be tolerant of a degree of disruption

-the police have to produce convincing evidence before restricting those rights

• in case law, the authorities insist that it would be unacceptable to restrict where and how the peaceful protesters can assemble.

For instance:

^the right of the defendants to assemble for the purpose of expressing and discussing those views, extends to the manner in which the defendants wish to express their views and to the location where they wish to express and exchange their views.
If it were otherwise, these fundamental human rights would be at risk of emasculation^ " (Hall v Mayor of London, 2010)

It's different when the police anticipate that the assembly isn't going to be peaceful. Where there are threats of violence and a risk of disorder anticipated, then the police have Public Order powers to curtail, restrict and prevent the assembly.

I think this will happen:

There will be a Buffer Zone. Protesters will force the police's hand and get themselves arrested. They will sue the Commissioner under the Human Rights Act. They will win and damages plus legal costs will be awarded.

Ok, so the rights of abusive men to importune women accessing healthcare are more important than the rights of those women to access this healthcare without harassment according to the law. Cool.

There is a perfectly serviceable church just down the road if all they want to do is hold a prayer vigil, but it's not, because they get off on harassing women. I uphold their right to protest, but you're not allowed to protest wherever you like any more, unless, it seems, it's women you're protesting.

Done. I can see no justification for clinic protests. I totally get that anti abortion campaigners hold fierce convictions on the subject but they should express these through political campaigns and trying to get the law changed. Personally trying to intervene in women's lives is plain wrong.