Anti-abortion protests in Glasgow will test Scotland’s new buffer zone law. Gillian Mackay supports the law.
The group is protesting daily until April 13, holding silent prayers on Hardgate Road near the hospital’s maternity unit. Gillian Mackay believes this will test the new law that protects people near abortion clinics by stopping harassment in these zones.
Mackay says people faced abuse for too long outside of hospitals, and the new law should stop this. Her law received much support in parliament. The US group has many volunteers in Scotland and previously protested at other clinics.
Protesters often held signs with messages, some saying “abortion is not healthcare” while others showed images of fetuses. One woman was arrested last month for protesting at the same hospital and breaking the new buffer zone law.
Mackay urges protesters to reconsider and think about the pain they cause. She stated that abortion rights are human rights, facing threats in the US, and she will always defend the right to choose.
Lucy Grieve also spoke about the protests; her group wants to stop clinic harassment. She wishes the protesters had agreed earlier, believing the law is necessary now to protect those seeking abortion care.
The Safe Access Zones bill started last September and has the support of healthcare workers. Some worried women sought online abortions to avoid clinic harassment, while others received false information, such as leaflets falsely linking abortion to cancer. Police Scotland is aware of the protests and said they will police them.