Yesterday the House of Lords passed an amendment to the Public Order Bill that will introduce buffer zones outside abortion clinics. For over eight years the largest abortion provider in the UK, (British Pregnancy Advisory Service) has campaigned to introduce these buffer zones. Firstly what is a buffer zone?
A buffer zone is a 150m area in which it is illegal to oppose the abortions happening within the clinic. It means activities such as protesting, handing out leaflets and holding vigils will be prohibited within that area. Buffer zones (also known as ‘censorship’ or ‘safe’ zones) would effectively ban and criminalise volunteers from peacefully praying and offering support to women entering abortion clinics. Even though this bill has not yet become law, abortion activists have been using the existing Public Space Protection Orders as buffer zones and the police have been enforcing these (more on this later).
BPAS launched a campaign back in 2014 called “Back Off” along with 19 other groups to push for these buffer zones. In their press release in November 2014 they stated “We now believe legislation to create safe spaces around clinics and advice centres free from activists would do much to minimise the distress these people cause women, and ensure healthcare staff can work in an environment free from intimidation.”. What do they mean by “safe spaces”. An abortion clinic is certainly not a safe space for the baby about to lose its life. It is not a safe space for the mother about to have her child killed. BPAS talk about minimising distress. Maybe the best way to remove distress would be to stop killing children. Talking the life of a family member will cause maximum distress to the vast majority of mothers and fathers.
source thegatewaypundit.com
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