My afternoon with protesters who stand outside abortion clinics

When I arrive at an abortion clinic in south London, 4 protesters – three ladies and one man – are gathered on the alternative aspect of the street alongside an image of the Virgin Mary, which is draped in rosary beads. They are silently mouthing prayers, and ask to not be interrupted.

Protesters outside abortion clinics, standing with indicators – typically that includes graphic pictures of foetuses – have develop into a norm. This will be worrying and upsetting for a number of the ladies stepping into for his or her process, who are typically approached by these people. The identical is true for the healthcare employees working on the clinics.

On Thursday, a brand new regulation is available in making it unlawful to “influence, harass or provoke” anybody utilizing or administering being pregnant termination companies inside a 150m (492ft) radius of an abortion clinic in England and Wales. It may even be unlawful to stand and silently pray inside the identical zone.

The change follows related bans applied in Northern Ireland in 2023 and in Scotland in September.

Abortion buffer zones have lengthy been campaigned for by some and fought in opposition to by others. Those who break this new regulation will face an infinite nice.

The regulation goals to place in place stronger safeguards for ladies accessing this well being service – particularly at a time when the subject of abortion is aggressively debated globally. Critics, nonetheless, say this comes on the expense of freedom of speech.

There are all the time protesters outside the MSI Reproductive Choices abortion clinic in Brixton. It’s one I’ve walked previous many occasions. When I arrive to report for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, there are two males flanking the gates of the clinic holding rosary beads and carrying leaflets.

It appears a well-co-ordinated and a thought-out operation – even right down to the truth that these praying know to instantly direct me to speak to the 2 males on the gate. So we cross the street and just do that.

Richard, who tells me he’s right here representing a Catholic charity which he says provides “the right sort of counselling to pregnant women”, has been coming to the centre for 5 weeks.

I ask him if there are any circumstances through which he believes abortion is suitable, and he tells me no.

I problem him on cases through which ladies have develop into pregnant on account of rape. He says these abortions can result in remorse and that as an alternative, “we need to weep with [the victim] and be empathetic”. Terminations will be traumatic, he tells me.

When I ask how he can know this as a person, he says there may be analysis on the subject – although he doesn’t cite a selected paper. He says “you don’t need to be of a certain sex to know about the other sex”.

I ask each males whether or not they can perceive how some ladies would discover their presence intimidating, unkind and un-Christian – particularly if they’ve had tough experiences with males. That is just not a view they will reconcile with their very own conviction that they’re making an attempt to avoid wasting lives.

Richard believes the notion that protesters like him are intimidating comes “from certain images, perhaps not from Britain” and says he and the others are usually not aggressive.

In distinction to America and different international locations, abortion within the UK is just not a serious political difficulty throughout common and native elections.

The numbers of abortions are going up. There have been 251,377 abortions in England and Wales in 2022 – the very best quantity for the reason that Abortion Act in 1967 was launched, and a rise of 17% over the earlier yr.

Regular massive opinion polls on this nation present assist has solely grown for ladies’s proper to entry abortion. The National Centre For Social Research’s most up-to-date social attitudes research reveals assist for abortion has elevated, though assist is barely much less common when there isn’t any well being threat concerned.

Three quarters of individuals surveyed in 2022 supported a girl’s proper to have an abortion as a result of she didn’t need to have a baby, up from 37% in 1983. This determine rose to 89% when there was a powerful probability of the newborn having a critical well being situation, and 95% when the lady’s well being was critically endangered by the being pregnant.

Seventy-two per cent consider abortion needs to be allowed when a pair can not afford any extra youngsters, and 68% when the lady is just not married and doesn’t want to marry.

Ailish McEntee, the midwife accountable for safeguarding adults and kids at MSI Reproductive Choices, one of many UK’s largest abortion suppliers, welcomes the buffer zones. She says she has needed to calm some ladies down who have been spoken to or accosted by protesters on their means in for an appointment.

“Women have had people screaming ‘murderer’ or shouting out ‘mummy’ and saying that they’re going to be praying for them and that is a really harrowing experience,” she tells me.

I problem her about folks’s proper to free speech, protest and to have the ability to specific their non secular beliefs on this nation. She acknowledges these rights are vital however says the placement of that expression additionally issues.

She tells me ladies shouldn’t must deal with protest, dissent, shaming or argument on the best way to obtain healthcare, particularly when a number of the ladies have confronted abuse by males – as that’s her specific space of experience and care.

Ailish’s account conflicts with Richard’s. She says she has seen protesters cease ladies and strongly attempt to forestall them from stepping into.

Both males I interviewed mentioned they didn’t know what they’d do from immediately when the regulation adjustments; whether or not they would proceed to point out up, however additional away, or not come in any respect.

Time will inform. But as I left I noticed a male member of the general public tackle one of many protesters, angrily telling them they shouldn’t be there. As of immediately – they may not be.

If you’ve gotten been affected by any of the problems raised on this story, info and assist is accessible through BBC Action Line.