When I arrive at an abortion clinic in south London, four protesters - three women and one man - are gathered on the opposite side of the road alongside a picture of the Virgin Mary, which is draped in rosary beads. They are silently mouthing prayers, and ask not to be interrupted. Protesters outside abortion clinics, standing with signs - sometimes featuring graphic images of foetuses - have become a norm.
This can be worrying and upsetting for some of the women going in for their procedure, who are sometimes approached by these individuals. The same is true for the healthcare staff working at the clinics. On Thursday, a new law comes in making it illegal to “influence, harass or provoke” anyone using or administering pregnancy termination services within a 150m (492ft) radius of an abortion clinic in England and Wales.
It will also be illegal to stand and silently pray within the same zone. The change follows similar bans implemented in Northern Ireland in 2023 and in Scotland in September. Abortion buffer zones have long been campaigned for by some and fought against by others.
Those who break this new law will face an unlimited fine. The law aims to put in place stronger safeguards for women accessing this health service – especially at a time when the topic of abortion is aggressively debated globally. Critics, however, say this comes at the expense of freedom of speech.
There are always protesters outside the MSI Reproductive Choices abortion clinic in Brixton. It.