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Abort 67 "intimidating protests" outside Blackfriars/London clinic

toggle said:
http://www.abortionrights.org.uk/

are probably the lot to ask about that
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Abortion Rights UK has called for police and law-makers to take steps to end the harassment of staff and patients and prevent delays to provision of medical services. This move follows the news that the first British clinic closure due to protest activity is likely in the next few weeks.
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Doesn't look they are inclined to encourage any sort of counter demo
Abort67 activists have bombarded the practice with emails and staged several protests specifically targeted at a mother and baby clinic also at the practice. Anti-abortion extremists flooded the area with activists carrying graphic posters, filmed patients coming in and out of the practice. They have openly stated that their intention is to force the practice to stop providing an abortion service. The practice have now said they are considering withdrawing the service because their staff and patients are distressed by the protestors.
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The problem with counter protest is obviously the danger of increasing the distress felt by patients and staff. That's not an argument for doing nothing, but if abortion rights themselves aren't calling for that sort of action, people obviously need to tread very carefully and sensitively
 
andysays said:
I'm assuming I'm not the would be murderous homophobic cunt you're referring to, even though that comment comes directly after a quote from me :hmm:
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no, the now banned one who'd see women die from back street abortions. apologies if that wasn't clear.
 
Pickman's model said:
i wonder if we'll ever get an anti-abortion type here who can put even a semblence of an argument
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It's a shame that they tend to be evangelical Christian nutjobs, because there are some decent - albeit, ultimately unpersuasive, in my opinion - scientific, legal and philosophical arguments that can be made against abortion. In my opinion, it's the rebuttal of those arguments which forms a more persuasive case for abortion rights than a number of those that are typically cited by the pro-choice movement.
 
andysays said:
Doesn't look they are inclined to encourage any sort of counter demo


The problem with counter protest is obviously the danger of increasing the distress felt by patients and staff. That's not an argument for doing nothing, but if abortion rights themselves aren't calling for that sort of action, people obviously need to tread very carefully and sensitively
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yep.

my thought tis that this org would be in contact with the clinic and would know whether they believed counterprotest would be useful or apropriate.
 
Isn't there stuff about causing alarm and distress they could be nicked for? People have been warned/nicked for having rude words on T-shirts/banners in the past, surely some of the graphic stuff being waved about could fall under the same rules? (Not that I agree with such a law).

I'm surprised they don't get ASBOed by one of the more lefty councils, but that'd feed their martyr complex.
 
I drive past people 'praying to end abortion' (according to their hoodies) almost every day outside the Marie Stopes clinic in Leeds. Even when it's raining there's one or two of the hardcore men there (sure there are women, never seen them).

They flank the gates in to the car park (it's in like a light industrial unit). They are there, literally standing in silent visible judgement. The pious unchristian dickheads.

My dad does this shit down South. He prays outside abortion centres. For the little babies and Jesus. My dad is really fucking stupid tho and he broke my brothers arm behind his back when he was a kid and we all went to refuges with our shit in plastic bags every other week. Now he prays for the unborn babies outside abortion clinics.
 
I agree with those saying that a counter protest may be unhelpful, and certainly I wouldn't support one unless it was supported by/organised by Abortion Rights and/or BPAS (which is run by people who are no strangers to organising pickets or counter pickets) but I think a mass one off mobilisation either as a counter picket or a march or rally near by would help to reinforce a pro-choice message.
 
Hundal http://labourlist.org/2014/11/the-pro-choice-majority-needs-to-mobilise-against-intimidation/

I walk past there most lunchtimes and haven't seen anything going on. Nor has anybody I work with mentioned seeing anything going on.

So it could be that you have a couple of protests, with the press invited along, and the predictable outrage when the coverage comes out?

ETA - which is not to diminish the upset that the protests would cause to staff and users of the facility.
 
Fozzie Bear said:
Hundal http://labourlist.org/2014/11/the-pro-choice-majority-needs-to-mobilise-against-intimidation/

I walk past there most lunchtimes and haven't seen anything going on. Nor has anybody I work with mentioned seeing anything going on.

So it could be that you have a couple of protests, with the press invited along, and the predictable outrage when the coverage comes out?
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The thing in there that says the GP is considering removing the service, that was also in the OP. I suspect that's where he got it from, but it would be good if we could bulk that claim up a bit. Anyone seen anything else?
 
I can't find any stuff online about it but the Oxford Feminist Network have been holding counter protests against a similar group in Oxford. I think they have been doing a Disco for Choice. I know they've discussed at length the merits of holding a counter protest, and I shall try and find it and post on here.
 
Louis MacNeice said:
My son just came in and told me to have a look at this; she does a great job and the look on the guy's face says it all.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice
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Fantastic. Well done that woman!

But the bloke wasn't listening. He couldn't look at her, no, but he was also tuning out. As was the woman to the left. She was almost smiling at the end of it.
 
littlebabyjesus said:
Fantastic. Well done that woman!

But the bloke wasn't listening. He couldn't look at her, no, but he was also tuning out. As was the woman to the left. She was almost smiling at the end of it.
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I think the guy was listening and that's why he was turning out.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice
 
littlebabyjesus said:
Fantastic. Well done that woman!

But the bloke wasn't listening. He couldn't look at her, no, but he was also tuning out. As was the woman to the left. She was almost smiling at the end of it.
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I very much doubt that those two will have their opinions changed, or re-consider what they're doing, but the way that woman (who I'm assuming was simply a random passer-by rather than someone who'd gone deliberately to oppose them) challeged them and pulled what they're doing to pieces in about half a dozen ways in a couple of minutes was absolutely brilliant.

I hope that video goes fucking viral and that those who watch it recognise what a bunch of arseholes this Abort 67 and their ilk really are, including by the fact that they had no response, that all they could do was look sheepishly and patronisingly away.
 
I just walked past them to and from the post office. Seems like Wednesdays is the day.

About 7 or 8 protestors on the other side of the road from the clinic. Mainly young, mainly women, fwiw. They had a garish banner up that I didn't look at too much, said it was a photo of an eight week old foetus or something. They were silent when I was there.

There was another group of 3 people further down the street who were filming them. Couldn't tell if they were with them, against them, or media. Near the film crew someone had put up a notice saying "Warning - graphic abortion imagery up ahead" or something.

There were two cops in a van and another one in a car.
 
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