London Abortion Clinic Centre of Protest

[Robinski]

As far as I can interpret from our US saturated media the topic of abortion is the subject of quite heavy and fiery debate over in the old US of A. While here, in Britain, there isn't much of a debate over it; sure there are different viewpoints but they are generally kept personal and people are allowed to go on with their lives as they so choose. Neither the pro-choice or pro-life parties have any impact on the media whatsoever, largely because they aren't doing anything.

 

In my opinion this, disparity between the two quite similar culture is because of the differences in the importance of religion. It's largely known that religion is a big part of many American citizen's lives, especially when held up in comparison to the 45% of Britons who have no religion and the 71% who think religion "unimportant".

 

So, why then, is there suddenly a large protest outside a London based abortion clinic? Oh, it's a US based group that's come over here to tell us how to live our lives? One that showcases extreme examples of an extreme view, and makes the rest of the US Catholic population look bad? Oh right.

 

 

Source- The Independent

 

US-style anti-abortion protesters target clinics in Britain

 

British women who want to terminate a pregnancy are being confronted by Christian protesters picketing abortion clinics, in a copy of tactics used by hardcore anti-abortionists in the US.

 

A Texas-based religious group, which has support and funding from hundreds of American churches, has been holding protests outside Marie Stopes House in central London, one of Britain's first modern abortion clinics.

 

It is the first time that the group – called 40 Days for Life – has targeted an abortion clinic in mainland Britain.

 

"Pro-choice" campaigners say pickets place unfair pressure on women at a vulnerable time in their lives. They accuse fundamentalist Christians of blocking pregnant women as they try to enter abortion clinics and providing them with misleading leaflets that over-exaggerate the medical risks of terminating a pregnancy. Clinic staff told The Independent that 40 Days for Life had filmed some women and employees walking into the clinic.

 

The "pro-lifers" counter that their protests are simply peaceful "prayer vigils" to provide women with support and information on alternatives to terminating their pregnancy. Campaigners are holding a planned 40 days of protests, picketing clinics in 218 US cities, as well as in Australia, Denmark, Canada and Northern Ireland. The protest at Marie Stopes House was due to enter its 35th day today.

 

Beata Klepacka, a 31-year-old paediatrician from London, was one of five protesters thumbing rosary beads and praying loudly opposite the clinic last week. She explained how more than 500 volunteers, the majority being Catholic, use a rota to make sure that the clinic is picketed 12 hours a day.

 

"This is a peaceful, prayerful and legal vigil," she said. "Our primary concerns are the hearts and souls of the people who walk into that building.

 

"In America we have been very fruitful. We've seen seven clinics close because of our vigils and at least 3,100 women, who were going to have an abortion, but didn't."

 

Many of the leaflets handed out by 40 Days for Life contain warnings about a supposed increase in breast cancer among women who have abortions. Cancer Research UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer have consistently presented peer-reviewed research indicating that there is no link.

 

The group says that its London protest has resulted in six women changing their minds. It also claims two of the clinic's staff have resigned. Marie Stopes denied this, before issuing a short statement: "We support people's right to protest as long as it doesn't infringe upon a woman's right to access our much-needed services or infringe upon their privacy."

 

Darinka Aleksic, campaign co-ordinator at Abortion Rights, said she had been tracking a significant recent upswing in anti-abortion protests.

 

"American-style tactics are being increasingly used in Britain, not just with pickets but with internet campaigns and the use of misleading leafleting," she said. "We are strongly in favour of women receiving as much support, counselling and information about abortion as possible. But we're worried about the tenor of a lot of the advice being given out by these pickets. There's a lot of emphasis on guilt and misleading scientific information."

 

Robert Colquhoun, 28, who runs the British arm of 40 Days for Life, said: "Some of the pregnancy services we have links with have some of the most caring, loving, selfless people I know.

 

"I am pro-choice. But I am not pro-choice about rape, burglary, kidnapping or killing children."

 

The politics of abortion

 

Abortion clinic pickets are one arm of a renewed assault on Britain's abortion laws by Christians and social conservatives.

 

Two years ago Parliament voted against reducing the cut-off limit for abortions from 24 weeks into a pregnancy to 22 weeks. Among those to vote for a reduction were David Cameron, William Hague and the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley.

 

The anti-abortion lobby is determined to hold a rematch. Therese Coffey, a newly elected Tory MP, has tabled an early day motion which would require women seeking an abortion on mental health grounds to receive counselling and be warned of possible risks to their mental health.

 

Anti-abortionists hope EDM 834 will spark a renewed debate over the abortion laws.

 

Despite what these guys may say, these protests could easily be deemed unlawful depending on how a court would interpret the 'Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005: Section 125' because of this section (quoted below) that says a group or person must not harass people with the intention of deterring them from performing lawful activities.

 

A person must not pursue a course of conduct —

 

(a)which involves harassment of two or more persons, and

(b)which he knows or ought to know involves harassment of those persons, and

©by which he intends to persuade any person (whether or not one of those mentioned above)—

 

(i)not to do something that he is entitled or required to do, or

(ii)to do something that he is not under any obligation to do.”;

 

TL;DR: America, some of your crazies have escaped. Please come and pick them up. It's your problem.

 

EDIT: Oh, and yes I realise there are British people participating in the protest too. But we do not normally have these things occurring, so it's likely that they wouldn't have done this without outside intervention. Besides, that paediatrician just wants to keep herself in a job.

Edited October 27, 2010 by Robinski

[Quadropheniac90]

People who force their opinion on others are so annoying and lame, I wish there was an international law that made it legal to shoot them in the balls.

[Pac.]

People who force their opinion on others are so annoying and lame, I wish there was an international law that made it legal to shoot them in the balls.

Or just Ilegal to force opinion onto people.

[WF the Hobgoblin]

I suppose if it's lawful then they should be able to do what they want but quite frankly, I think these religious wackos should kindly gtfo and stick to wasting their lives in their own country.

We Brits are a civilised bunch and we don't care for protesting and that sort of thing, we prefer to simply smile and then grumble about the issues when we get home.

 

I hope the protest is deemed unlawful and promptly removed.

[dice]

The problem with these people is that they interpretate their religion wrong. Instead of learning from their gods views, they try to impose them to others. Sure they may be doing a good deed by saving a potential life, but this raises another question. What is their definition of life and when/where does it even start ?

[Oddsock]

I sigh.

 

What a backwards group. They're so out there I would call them more Christian than they are American.

 

Well, they didn't tell us they were going, so do with them what you like, I don't think any of us in Sanity Land care much for what happens to them.

[Robinski]

Well, they didn't tell us they were going, so do with them what you like, I don't think any of us in Sanity Land care much for what happens to them.

Don't try and pawn them off on us sonny. You guys let your kids go out, get wasted (on Jesus) and now they're stood outside the neighbours' house hooping and hollerin'.

 

Come pick up your drunk kids.

[Rebel]

But they have fingernails!

 

I'm sure the Americans will get more dirty looks while protesting over here than they would in the US. Personally, even though they are deciding to protest and sh*t I don't believe it will really bring around much attention to people in the UK who are on either side of the camp. I mean it could, but I'm sure most of them protesting aren't here for long so give them 6 months max if they have no visa before they f*ck off back to the US.

 

I think what they are doing is immoral and they shouldn't be brooding over something that's more than acceptable here in the UK. They are barking up the wrong tree if they are trying to get the point across.

[Oddsock]

Well, they didn't tell us they were going, so do with them what you like, I don't think any of us in Sanity Land care much for what happens to them.

Don't try and pawn them off on us sonny. You guys let your kids go out, get wasted (on Jesus) and now they're stood outside the neighbours' house hooping and hollerin'.

 

Come pick up your drunk kids.

They're not my kids, I'm 20 years old and going through college, I don't have any control over them! Tell Bill Clinton, he got those journalists out of North Korea so I'm sure he'd find no problem in getting a bunch of Jesus freaks out of Britain.

[Jesus'En'Hitler420]

Why couldn't they have been aborted?

[Mike Tequeli]

 

Despite what these guys may say, these protests could easily be deemed unlawful depending on how a court would interpret the 'Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005: Section 125' because of this section (quoted below) that says a group or person must not harass people with the intention of deterring them from performing lawful activities.

 

A person must not pursue a course of conduct —

 

(a)which involves harassment of two or more persons, and

(b)which he knows or ought to know involves harassment of those persons, and

©by which he intends to persuade any person (whether or not one of those mentioned above)—

 

(i)not to do something that he is entitled or required to do, or

(ii)to do something that he is not under any obligation to do.”;

 

 

 

 

That's a moronic interpretation of the law, you don't agree with the group and therefore you think it's okay to twist some law out of shape to fit your world view. For the record I think these lot are despicable. Abortions are pretty much the last line of defense between several lives ruined and an unwanted child.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2010 by Mike Tequeli

[trip]

What a backwards group. They're so out there I would call them more Christian than they are American.

 

Thank you!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always like how most pro-lifers are also the ones who are pro-death penalty. And my favorite pro-lifer hypocrites are the ones who kill and or threaten abortion doctors.

[Robinski]

That's a moronic interpretation of the law, you don't agree with the group and therefore you think it's okay to twist some law out of shape to fit your world view. For the record I think these lot are despicable. Abortions are pretty much the last line of defense between several lives ruined and an unwanted child.

No. It is not. These types of groups have been known to harass, abuse and sometimes even go as far as to assault the people who work at or are using the clinics, all in the name of protecting the unborn children. Most women who use these clinics will already be very emotionally and mentally vulnerable and physically uncomfortable, and it is in this state that they have to walk through/past these people hurling abuse at them during an already hugely traumatic time. As intended, these sort of tactics may scare, sorry "convince", these women not to continue with their lawful act which they would have continued had these people not intimidated them.

 

Scaring someone into a commitment that takes up, at the very least, 18 years of financial, emotional and physical investment just because they don't conform to your world view is a moronic view of reality. This sort of moron, I would be happy to see prosecuted.

[Creed Bratton]

I don't understand those religious freaks. If you're against abortion don't have a f*ckin' abortion. Why don't they protest against gun manufacturers if they're against murder. It would make more sense that this sh*t.

[Vercetti27]

don't have any time for these religious dicks who want to use the bible and sh*t to enforce their way of life on anyone

[TEoS]

Thanks for taking them off our hands guys.

[E.A.B.]

So, why then, is there suddenly a large protest outside a London based abortion clinic? Oh, it's a US based group that's come over here to tell us how to live our lives?

No f*cking way

 

ugh, I hate these people with a passion. I was just talking to my mom about this-she's a catholic. I told her the situation and she gave a semi-smile and a resounding approval.

 

f*ck YOU MOMMY

 

Anyway, I asked her what she thinks about it. Apparently, the church showed a movie where the baby was saying 'MOMMY DON'T KILL ME'

 

f*cking cheap. Damn it I hate the damn church.

[The Killa]

.. and suddenly America is a better place to live.

 

 

Why don't they protest against gun manufacturers if they're against murder. It would make more sense that this sh*t.

 

There are plenty more issues they could protest against rather than some girl whose boyfriends condom tore a hole or even worse, sex against their will. The fact they're continuing to do this while people are dying in wars, starvation, and crime. It's a giant wasted effort.

[trip]

My wife used to get her birth control at Planned Parenthood. If you don't know it is an organization designed to help people not get pregnant, or help them plan an appropriate and healthy pregnancy. The cost of service is based on your income. It's a great organization because if you are low income your birth control would be free. They spend more time, money and energy on helping people to not get pregnant.

 

But...they also perform abortions at their clinics.

 

I can't tell you how much fun it is having to go there on a protest weekend. All you want to do is walk in and get pills to prevent pregnancy, and the whole time you have a group of people(usually men) in your face yelling "Don't kill your baby"

 

Edit:

forgot to include that on protest days there are escorts to walk you through the protest crowd into the building.

[Robinski]

Forgot to include that on protest days there are escorts to walk you through the protest crowd into the building.

These guys are pretty amazing people. I've read some stuff in the past in a kind of Q&A thing on another forum where someone talked about doing this as a job/volunteer thing and it sounds pretty intimidating. In a discussion about this particular protest it brought one of them out of the woodwork to post this:

 

I'm a clinic escort in my city, and you wouldn't believe how f*cking crazy some of these anti-choice folks are without dealing with them. Let's see. Last night escorting for 4 hours I witnessed:

 

•A rape victim told that "God wants her to have that baby, and carrying it to term will show your other children how strong you are."

•An anti tell me to drop dead, and that "You don't know who you're f*cking with. It once took six cops to take me down."

•A woman waiting in her car to pick someone up ask an anti to not display his graphic miscarriage pictures where her child could see them, only to have him walk in circles around her car holding up his pics.

•The same anti throw a kick at my head when I was polite enough to try to pick up his hat, which had blown off in the wind.

 

I've seen antis knock 67 year old female escorts to the ground to get to patients first. I've seen them tell a 12-year-old victim of incest that she needs to not "murder her baby." I've been told that I'm a bloody-handed baby killer who would fit in well in nazi Germany. IMO, these people are pretty much the scum of the earth who've somehow convinced themselves that they're being wonderful Christians and fulfilling god's wishes by harassing crying women. And the funny thing is, 90% of them seem to be middle-aged white men.

 

I just hope that things never get that extreme over here.

[Typhus]

Abortion isn't the problem. Abortion is good. We need more abortion more often.

The issue is people medicating themselves with sex. As if it will fix all their problems and solve all their ills. The protestors are weak because they don't have the guts to eradicate an unwanted life. And the majority of abortions are probably because of some sloppy fumble in a back alley which the girl thought would make her daddy love her.

I'm glad these dregs are killing their babies, I'm glad that they're not polluting the gene pool with their illiterate piglets.

But no. The evangelists don't get it. They don't see what needs to be done.

God isn't like them. God does what is necessary, not what is right. He kills people again and again and again, and his 'followers' throw a bitch fit about a spot of killing? It's almost funny.

[Moonshield]

 

Yeah, I saw this video and the following article kinked on reddit the other day. It's an essay from the Good Men Project by the man who took the video. It's a really, really good read, and very heart-wrenching.

 

http://goodmenproject.com/2010/10/23/confronting-life/

 

Some advice for you Brits trying to deal with these assfaces, "I learned a few important things from this encounter. First, these people aren’t used to being confronted. They prey on the weak and they pounce on the wounded. It’s easy to berate people and shame them when they’re too beaten down to fight back."

[cidamelo]

Here in Brazil, the "abort question" is a major issue for the presidencial candidates. Both of them said they were pro-abort, but now, to try to attract religious votes (in Brazil, around 93% of the people have a religion, and almost all of them are against abort), they say they are against abort. Anyway, I'm against.

[Moonshield]

I think it's absolutely ridiculous that some people consider abortion a major issue in politics. And for the record, only lunatics are "pro-abortion". Calling a pro-choice stance "pro-abortion" is just flat out ignant.

[Slynke]

I drive past an abortion clinic on my way to work everyday, and 2/3 of the time there are protesters out front lol Sometimes I feel like running my car off the road "on accident"

[Niko_Vercetti7]

 

Tell Bill Clinton, he got those journalists out of North Korea so I'm sure he'd find no problem in getting a bunch of Jesus freaks out of Britain.

 

Bill Clinton can do ANYTHING!! Including cheating on his wife while in office and getting away with it. That just goes to show how smart and manipulative he is which is good for us.

[Pac.]

Mother-f*ckers.

 

I really have nothing to say, i could write a whole page and abit on what i thimk but my lazy ass can't be f*cked right now. Why is it always the religeous people doing this, if it was non-religeous i bet people might listen abit.

[tubbs51]

damn bastards

 

like some one else said we dont want them back so do what you want.... maybe you can trade them to North Korea for some money