The new law, which came into effect on 31 October 2024, bars protests within 150 meters of clinics. Scotland and Northern Ireland, who make their own health policies, recently enacted similar bans.
Pro-choice campaigners and abortion service providers also welcomed new Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance issued, which specifically bars “holding a vigil, or praying, including silent prayer” within the zones. These actions, along with holding bibles and displaying images of fetuses or babies, were cited as having a potential impact on people accessing abortion services.
Meanwhile, anti-abortion activists began taking up positions just outside the new buffer zones around clinics on the first day of a law coming into effect.
SOURCE: The Guardian, by Ben Quinn, 31 October 2024. PHOTO: David Levene/The Guardian