Praying to be criminalised on 29th September

Precious Life has condemned the Department of Health’s announcement that it will introduce “exclusion zones” at abortion centres in Northern Ireland on Friday (29th September.) The zones will criminalise women and men who pray within 250 metres of an abortion centre.

These zones have serious implication for the rights to free speech and assembly of ALL people. If pro-life prayer vigils can be banned and criminalised, then public speech, assembly or protest on any other issue can also be banned and criminalised.

Free speech denied anywhere is a threat to free speech everywhere

We urge you to ask your MP to seek clarity from the UK Home Secretary that prayer in any public space is still legal.

Earlier this month, the Home Secretary Suella Braverman said silent prayer is not unlawful. In a letter to police forces in England and Wales, she reminded police officers that “holding lawful opinions, even if those opinions may offend others, is not a criminal offence” and said, “[policing] includes a requirement to preserve all rights, including the right to free speech.” She added, “silent prayer, in itself, is not unlawful”.

Our MPs must demand that citizens of Northern Ireland have the same right to hold lawful opinions, right to free speech, and right to pray.


TAKE ACTION

Contact your MP. You can find their contact details by filling in your postcode on the WriteToThem website. You can send an message directly from the website.

In your own words, ask your MP to :

- Seek clarity from the UK Home Secretary that prayer in any public space in Northern Ireland is legal;

- Demand that citizens of Northern Ireland have the rights to hold lawful opinions, free speech, and prayer - the same rights outlined by the Home Secretary for citizens in the rest of the UK.

Contact your MP here... WriteToThem