It’s time to ban protesters from abortion clinics
As new laws are proposed to protect women from harassment outside abortion clinics, Anna Silverman speaks to those already affected by campaigners
LAST WEEK, Home Secretary Amber Rudd launched a review of the treatment of pregnant women who are harassed and intimidated outside abortion clinics. New measures could give police, healthcare providers and councils the power to ‘protect women making a tough decision’, Rudd explained.
Anti-abortion campaigners have been known to confront women with pictures of foetuses and host ‘abortion vigils’ – where they pray for people to change their minds on seeking a termination. This might sound like bible-belt America, but sadly this behaviour is on the rise across Britain – something I see first-hand when I visit a Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Ealing, West London.
As I arrive, I spot a young woman staring blankly at her feet while a middle-aged man tries to make conversation with her. Head bowed, she seems terrified and can’t be older than 22. The man hands her rosary beads and is holding an image of what appears to be a fully formed foetus. He’s saying, ‘Mum, God can help you and your baby. Please reconsider your decision.’ She rushes through the gates, clearly distressed.
Another woman, Maddy, 38, is arguing with a campaigner. She speaks to me afterwards and says she resents being made to feel bad about the hardest decision she’s ever had to make. ‘I wasn’t expecting this at all,’ she says. ‘ When I got here, he was talking about God and saying I shouldn’t do this. My decision hasn’t come lightly and this just makes it all harder. I’m strong, so I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried for the younger women coming here. Abortion is a woman’s choice and yet two men are standing here talking about God and telling us what to do. The hypocrites! They have no idea what it’s like.’
Today, there are only three campaigners, but I’m told by staff that there are often close to 20. On the pavement lie shocking images of ‘foetuses’ – which I find out later are medically inaccurate. There are signs that read, ‘thou shalt not kill’, ‘abortion: one dead, one wounded’, ‘give your baby a present, a birthday’ and ‘abortion kills babies’. These images clearly demonstrate that the pro-life presence goes far beyond ‘offering alternatives and financial and moral support’, as they claim in the pamphlets they hand me.
Rudd’s announcement came after 113 MPS wrote to her demanding she introduce new laws to impose buffer zones around abortion clinics, to ban vigils and keep campaigners like this at bay.
Lorren Montero, the clinical team leader at Ealing, thinks the move can’t come fast enough. She says there’s been an increase in the level of harassment over the past two years. Not just in numbers, but in tactics. ‘ They’ve grown really aggressive,’ she tells me. ‘Instead of quietly offering a leaflet, they’re standing in people’s way and closing the gate so they can’t get past. They put rosary beads over people’s necks, saying, “Mum, your foetus will haunt you. You’ll go to hell. You’ll get cancer. You’re a murderer.” Women are coming in in tears, shaking and incredibly distressed and distraught. Around 80 women visit the clinic each day and every single one is approached.’
On top of that, Lorren says they’ve escalated to videoing clients and livestreaming them on Facebook – breaching confidentiality to a point where staff are concerned for the safety of those at risk from domestic violence. She doesn’t want to speculate as to what has brought on this new mood in the UK, but says, ‘ We’ve seen an increase since Trump won the US election. But who knows. We’re hoping this buffer zone is brought in soon.’