Abortion opponents demonstrate again and again in front of counseling centers or doctor's offices. In order to protect doctors and patients, the British House of Commons decides to establish protective zones in front of such facilities. Opponents of the new regulation see this as a threat to freedom of expression.
To protect against radical opponents of abortion, protection zones are to be set up around abortion clinics in England and Wales, in which protests can no longer take place. This was decided by the British House of Commons in London with a large majority of 297 MPs.
In this way, women and doctors who perform abortions should be better protected. The proposal, submitted by a cross-party group, now has to go through the House of Lords. There, too, clear approval is expected.
It is planned that the ban will apply within a radius of 150 meters. There are penalties for violations. There have already been corresponding pilot projects in several cities. Similar plans exist for Scotland. Special regulations apply in the smallest part of Great Britain, Northern Ireland.
In Great Britain, women who have decided to terminate their pregnancy are repeatedly harassed outside abortion clinics. Opponents of the planned change see the new regulation as a threat to freedom of expression.
According to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, around 100,000 women in Britain are treated each year in clinics where anti-abortion protests have taken place. "These groups try to discourage women from having an abortion by calling them 'killers', showing pictures of fetuses and hanging baby clothes in front of clinics," said Clare Murphy, director of the counseling organization.
