Police in Scotland today (Feb. 18) stopped a woman from praying and standing silently outside an abortion facility. The case is another example of how the UK is continuing to ban pro-life free speech.
As video shows, Scottish police filmed applying the “buffer zone” law, which bans pro-life people from praying or speaking outside an abortion business, despite recent denials from the Scottish government.
“Am I committing an offense?” pro-life grandma Rose Docherty asks police?
“Yes, I believe you are conducting a silent vigil,” an officer responds.
Docherty was merely holding a sign that read, “Coercion is a crime. Here to talk, only if you want,” in an attempt to help women who are pressured to have abortions.
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Here is a transcript of the exchange, from British pro-life advocate Lois McLatchie Miller:
Police: Examples of what would be classed as breaching the Act would be approaching someone trying to persuade them not to access abortion services, surrounding people as they go in and out of the clinic, handing out leaflets, religious preaching, silent vigils. So standing here saying nothing is a silent vigil
Rose: But I’m just pointing out that coercion is against the law and that if anyone wants to come and speak to me they can. I’m not doing anything else
Police: You’re saying to me that you’re not doing anything wrong but there’s obviously a reason why you’re here. Why you’re in this area. I’m aware that you have been protesting here against abortion before. So I don’t understand why you’re here in this area again protesting the same thing
Rose: I’m here to say that if anyone wants to come to speak to me of their own volition they can
Police: I would advise you to move away from this area
Rose: So I’m just here to speak to anyone if they want to speak to me. That’s what I’m doing standing here saying that coercion is a crime and if anyone wants to speak to me they can. So is that an offence?
Police: We’ve asked you to move
Editor's note: This article was published by LifeNews and is reprinted with permission.
