Christian protest outside Glasgow hospital 'borders on criminality'

Last month, the Commons voted to introduce the protest free spaces in England and Wales, and last December, the supreme court ruled that Northern Ireland could go ahead with similar plans without interfering with EHRC rights.

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The protests always ramp up over lent, with the 40 Days campaign calling on Christians to stage vigils urging women to think again about the procedure. 

Photos shared online showed over a hundred gathered outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow, most were holding lanterns, some held signs.

Ms Mackay is currently trying to get her Holyrood member’s bill establishing “safe access zones” through Holyrood. If passed it would stop protesters demonstrate within 150m of a health care setting clinic. She said earlier this year she was hoping to introduce the bill by summer. 

The Green hit out at the 40 Days protesters 

She said: “If they thought this would help their cruel US imported ideology then it has backfired spectacularly. All they have done is make the case absolutely for speeding up the introduction of safe access zones.

“They have galvanised support around my Bill with a flood of messages to my office in the past 24-hrs from people asking what help they can offer to speed up its introduction. 

“This is not about freedom of speech, this is absolutely about protecting the rights of women to choose, to be protected and to feel safe when accessing healthcare. It is about supporting staff and clinicians to do their job without fear.

“The 40 Days doctrine is at odds with that, it surely borders on criminality and such displays must be brought to an end. I hope it can be the last time people are forced to endure such repugnant scenes.

“I will be speaking with colleagues across the Scottish Parliament and with the Scottish Government with a view to progressing my Bill at the earliest opportunity to ensure safe access zones are introduced as soon as possible.”

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Lois McLatchie from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) told the BBC that those standing Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were offering “charitable help”.

She also claimed Ms Mackay’s Safe Access Zones Bill would “censor” people who “silently pray” outside places where abortions are performed. 

That was disputed by Gemma Clark, from campaign group, Back Off Scotland.

“I don’t think there’s any both sides in this debate and I’m not surprised to hear such a disingenuous answer about a mob of 100 people picketing a hospital last night,” she said.

“It’s completely inappropriate and even if that only happens once a year that is no comfort to people who can be in there taking their child to A&E, having a stillborn, having a miscarriage.

“I’m not surprised to hear this from an ADF representative. The Southern Poverty Law Center categorised this group as a homophobic hate group.

“Let’s be honest about who these people are. We’re talking about highly radicalised, anti-abortion activists who are working for highly funded American organisations. This is about protecting women and vulnerable people.”

Ms McLatchie said she rejected the “serious” allegations made by Clark and claimed the Southern Poverty Law Center were a "discredited" group.

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Asked whether she felt it was appropriate to have 100 people protesting outside the QEUH, she told BBC Radio Scotland: “The legislation going through the Scottish Parliament would be much more than banning what would be considered harassment.

“It would tackle even having one person silently, individually praying inside their head outside an abortion facility.

“It’s not a mob, they’re praying. It’s important people have the freedom to pray in their heads.

“What I would agree with Gemma on is I also stand against harassment against women in any circumstance and that’s not what we’re dealing with here. There’s already legislation in place to deal with harassment.

“What we’re talking about here is legislation that would go so far as to put censorship on innocent people offering charitable help.”

In response to calls for the bill to be fast-tracked through Holyrood, First Minister Humza Yousaf told the BBC: “We’re going to do everything we possibly can to bring safe access zones to our abortion clinics as soon as we possibly can.

“I’ll engage very early on with Gillian Mackay in relation to safe access zones but I’ve made it unequivocally clear I am in support of them and I am really disheartened to see those protests take place at a time when women are maybe facing the most traumatic days in their lives. It’s not acceptable.”