Buffer zones - abortion clinics - Scotland

[DomesticatedZombie]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0d8076f0-ccc3-11ec-b225-ba85b2bd8624?shareToken=05c4c8994771bf27d3441c6b55cb997a

A Green MSP has introduced a bill to allow buffer zones to protect women accessing abortions in Scotland. Let's hope it gets through.

'Lucy Grieve, co-founder of Back Off Scotland, which campaigns for the zones, said the country “is already behind every other nation of the UK on addressing anti-abortion harassment”.

She said: “It is a stain on [Sturgeon's] government to take a back seat and rely on an opposition MSP to bring in legislation.

“The first minister appointed a women’s health minister last year and you would think this meant that we would be at the forefront of women’s rights. We are not.”

Grieve said that Maree Todd, the minister in question, “has made no serious attempts to stop the harassment and has shown real contempt to those affected by the protests”. The Scottish government has said that councils are best placed to bring in measures to prevent anti-abortion campaigners gathering outside clinics.'

As noted in the comments, the Scottish Government were quick to bring in a 'buffer zone' round parliament that stopped women from protesting there.

bellacaledonia.org.uk/2021/09/11/holyrood-attack-on-the-right-to-protest/

Somewhat confusingly, Nicola Sturgeon has recently suggested anti abortion protests should take place at Holyrood:

"People have the right to protest against abortion but they should do that outside parliament where the laws are made. They should not do that outside a hospital where women are undergoing abortions and of course experiencing often as they do so extreme distress."

uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/nicola-sturgeon-condemns-anti-abortion-122722043.html

I thought the SNP had restricted who could gather and protest outside Holyrood?

Yes, indeed - that's the subject of the 2nd article I linked to.

It's a bit of an odd statement, imo. My best guess is Sturgeon is trying hard not to piss off anti-abortionists while also trying not to piss off women. I think she's politicking so hard these days she's lost sight of any moral compass she may have had at any point - it's all purely performative.

I do wish journalists would try to write articles more clearly. And government statements were more clear in what they were trying to convey.

What's the difference in the laws between Scotland versus England & Wales?
What's the legislation in E&W that enables the councils there to enact buffer zones, but in Scotland if councils tried to do something similar it would breach an existing law? What is that existing law?
How is that tied to human rights laws?
If a buffer zone was introduced, people would still be able to protest, just further away - so how would it breach any human rights law?

It sounds like a working group is already in place to look at this, so not sure what the bill introduced by the Green MSP will achieve? Although the publicity might encourage them to get their finger out and hurry up.

The statement by Rachael Clarke, chief of staff at BPAS, sounds weirdly unprofessional and political as well.

my OP might not have been as clear as it ought to have been, Nonny!

I am not keen on this. I don't like the idea of this Scottish government restricting right to protest. It seems far to much up their street. Where and what else would they deem can't be protested against?

Well, they've already restricted the right to protest by banning it at Holyrood.

Buffer zones is fair enough, nobody but nobody should be harassing women as they access medical treatment.

Well, they've already restricted the right to protest by banning it at Holyrood.

Exactly, plus hate crime legislation - they are too keen to restrict freedom of speech.

Oh no, I wasn't commenting on your post, but the Times article. I probably should have read the other two links you posted as well to see if it answered my questions.

Another Times article on the subject:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dc7a0f98-cfd4-11ec-84ba-2054de44b21e?shareToken=4bb98ae7351cc593e4bd851ed1e1346a

'Police Scotland has been urged to use existing powers to break up protests outside abortion clinics.

Under section 14 of the Public Order Act, senior officers can disperse crowds if they believe that the purpose “is the intimidation of others with a view to compelling them not to do an act they have a right to do, or to do an act they have a right not to do”.

The powers are reserved for rioters and football hooligans but Monica Lennon, the Scottish Labour MSP, said: “Police Scotland must take action on harmful anti-abortion protests under public order powers.”'