Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STAND-OFF WITH THE PILL-ICE..
Defiant pro-choice activists take ‘abortion tablets’ in front of cops
PRO-CHOICE campaigners engaged in a stand-off with police yesterday as temperatures rose in the abortion debate.
The incident took place outside Northern Ireland’s main court buildings in Belfast city centre.
During their protest members of the pro-choice grouping took what appeared to be abortion pills in defiance of the strict laws governing terminations.
Eleanor Crossey Malone, from socialist feminist movement Rosa, was among them.
She said: “I have taken this in defiance of the extremely outdated, medieval, anti-choice laws that exist in Northern
Ireland.
“We are not willing in the wake of the repeal referendum to be left behind any longer.
“Northern Ireland after repeal will be one of only two jurisdictions remaining in Europe to criminalise women effectively for having abortions.”
There was a heavy security presence and counter-demonstrations by anti-abortion activists in Belfast city centre. PSNI officers moved in to seize some of the pills and a tiny robot, less than the size of an A4 page, which was used to distribute them. Officers also attempted to remove one of the women who openly took a tablet. They led her away and a tense stand-off ensued, with many campaigners gathering around her insisting she should not be arrested. After several minutes, the officers abandoned their attempt to speak with the woman and left the area. At the protest there was chanting involving supporters of both sides. Opponents included anti-abortion activist Bernie Smyth.
Three women gathered in a circle and others dressed as handmaidens, in reference to the Margaret Atwood novel The Handmaid’s Tale about women’s rights being stripped away, stood behind them.
The three women produced and took the tablets.