By Joshua Lopez, Local News Reporter
Ealing Council is to roll out a protection zone around the Marie Stopes Clinic based in the Borough after a bout of anti-abortion demonstrations in the area. The decision, the first of its kind, came after pressure by Anna White, a spokesperson for Sister Supporter, a women’s rights group, who presented the council with a petition of 3,000 signatures calling for a “buffer zone.” A recent wave of protests by anti-abortion campaigners targeting women entering and leaving have been described by concerned citizens as“terrorizing.”
Sister Supporter’s spokesperson White highlighted a number of disturbing accounts in which some women were called “murderers” by the anti-abortion protestors as well as being told they would become “drug addicts” if they went forward with their decision.
The Council’s vote on the provision of a “protection zone” around the Marie Stopes Clinic can only be described as a “landslide” with 67 out of 69 councillors voting in favour.
Managing director at Marie Stopes UK, Richard Bentley described it as “groundbreaking” and that others should follow their lead. Other organisations have also been making headway regarding the implementation of the buffer zones outside clinics with The British Pregnancy Advisory Service now calling for national legislation to be put forward using Ealing Council as the example of good practice.
Interview between Richard Bentley and Byte Online reporter Josh Lopez