Buffer zones only help abusers -

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John Deighan
Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
Dear Pro-Life Friend,

You might remember that I wrote to you before about “Lydia” – the brave woman who is seeking justice for herself and her unborn child, following a horrific abortion coercion experience.

I want to thank every single SPUC supporter who responded to my last appeal to assist in legal costs.

If generosity is an antidote for killing, there is no question that our movement will find itself on the right side of history one day.

In a moment, I will provide you with an update on Lydia’s case.

But first, I must draw your attention to some very concerning news from Westminster.
SHUTTING DOWN PRO-LIFE SPEECH
In October, MPs voted 297 to 110 in favour of an amendment - New Clause 11 - to the Government’s Public Order Bill.

The clause would see so-called “buffer zones” – more accurately described as “censorship” zones – installed around abortion facilities in England and Wales.

(A similar law was passed earlier this year in Northern Ireland, while plans for one in Scotland are currently being considered at Holyrood.)

This amendment to the Public Order Bill will make it illegal to interfere “with any person's decision to access, provide, or facilitate the provision of abortion services in that buffer zone.”

* Pro-lifers found guilty of breaching the censorship zones - which would extend 150 metres from clinics - could face up to 2 years in prison.

In a separate development, the local Council for Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole in Dorset has placed red lines around an abortion facility and designated the area a so-called “safe zone.”

* Anyone caught making the Sign of the Cross, reciting Scripture, or sprinkling holy water behind these red lines will face a fine.

In 1949, George Orwell published his famous novel, 1984.

This classic book is based on what Orwell observed of totalitarian regimes in Germany and the Soviet Union in the first part of the twentieth century.

If you are familiar with the work, you will know that “The Party” which governs the fictional state of Oceania manages to maintain power over the people by forcing them to live in a constant state of propaganda-induced fear.

The Party is able to force its subjects to accept anything it decrees, even if it is entirely illogical.

For instance, the Ministry of Peace is in charge of waging war, the Ministry of Love is in charge of political torture, and the Ministry of Truth is in charge of doctoring history books to reflect the Party’s ideology.

Fast-forward to Britain 2022

In what was a typically one-sided BBC news report on the Westminster vote, the prominent pro-abortion Labour MP, Stella Creasy, who tabled the amendment said that:


"'...buffer zones protected women accessing a very specific type of health care’.

“Ms Creasy, who proposed the new rules, said: ‘It does not stop free speech on abortion. It does not stop people protesting.'"

In the doublespeak of 2022, you can see how:

* Killing (abortion) is classed as healthcare - just as waging war is classed as peace in Orwell’s Oceania
* Censorship is freedom of speech, while
* Criminalising peaceful protesters is freedom of assembly.

Indeed, in the UK’s new Ministry of Love, offering a woman the eleventh-hour “choice” of keeping her baby is now being construed as “harassment” and will result in a prison term.
PROPAGANDA-INDUCED FEAR
Stella Creasy and her abortion lobby cohorts want the British public to believe that pro-life pavement counsellors are despicable people who are a threat to so-called “women’s rights”.

They claim that pro-lifers harass, obstruct and intimidate women at abortion clinics.

But this could NOT be further from the truth.

Following a 2018 government consultation, then Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, rejected calls to outlaw pro-life vigils and instead upheld civil liberties on free speech and assembly.

He said that:


"Having considered the evidence of the Review, I have therefore reached the conclusion that introducing national buffer zones would not be a proportionate response, considering the experiences of the majority of hospitals and clinics, and considering that the majority of activities are more passive in nature."

Who’s harassing who?

The image above shows what an everyday pro-life vigil run by the commendable 40 Days for Life prayer group looks like.

As you can see, participants typically include elderly people – some who have disabilities – and young mothers.

SPUC is not officially involved in staging pro-life vigils at abortion facilities, but some of its members attend them and have provided helpful first-hand accounts of their experiences.

John Edwards of SPUC’s Nottingham branch has experience organising 40 Days for Life vigils in the city.

John told SPUC:

"We have been criticised for being present there, standing as we do at Leengate [an area of Nottingham].

But let us be very clear - we are staging a vigil of prayer, not a protest.

We pray - for the unborn, and for their mothers, who are also harmed by abortion.

We are always peaceful - even when we are intimidated and abused by pro-abortion protesters.

Their aim (publicly stated on social media) is to intimidate and harass us until we are forced to leave."

Above: Video footage ([link removed]) from SPUC’s website documents pro-lifers being intimated, mocked, sworn at and abused while praying peacefully at a pro-life vigil.

John says that on another occasion:

"A young man approached three volunteers who were present, including me. We were praying quietly.

He swore abusively and then threw a jug of yellow liquid at us. The liquid was lumpy.

It hit one member of the vigil in the face, hair and body, and the other two of us on our bodies, clothes, shoes. He then disappeared.

None of the vigil members responded in any way.
"In contrast to pro-abortion activists, we do not intimidate anyone.

If anyone approaches us, we will talk to them, and can direct women to sources of support to help them keep their baby.

We do not block entrances to clinics. We do not block access anywhere. And we do not approach patients.

If patients or other members of the public approach us, we talk to them - unless they are abusive or threatening. In these circumstances we say nothing.

Having monitored our vigils closely over the past two years, the local police can confirm that all our activities have been consistently peaceful and law abiding."

TWO CAUSES, TWO STANDARDS
In criminology, a public order offence is defined as "crime which involves acts that interfere with the operations of society and the ability of people to function efficiently".

Not all political causes are equal.

Climate protestors, for instance, frequently disrupt road traffic and prevent people – including in some cases the emergency services – from going about their lawful business.

Yet this type of protest is met with impunity.
A few weeks ago, my colleague Margaret Akers was invited to give a talk at Edinburgh University.

Less than 15 minutes into the talk, about 30 students came in, one with a megaphone in hand, quite literally demanding that the talk come to an end.

In the interests of safety, the talk was abandoned.

But, of course, intimidation and violence are not the only methods being employed to keep abortion legal in the UK.

Though more subtle, putting pressure on women to have an abortion is no less deadly.

Earlier this year, a BBC poll no less, found that around 1-in-10 UK pregnancies are aborted because the mother has faced some form of coercion.
IF ONLY “LYDIA” HAD BEEN LISTENED TO
You will recall how in my last letter I revealed how “Lydia”, whose identity SPUC has agreed to protect, strongly believed that she had no real choice in her abortion.

* She was coerced into aborting her unborn baby at around 20 weeks (5 months).
* A medical doctor in her partner’s family used her status as a healthcare professional to coerce Lydia into an abortion that she most certainly did not want.

Thanks to your generous response, SPUC is now backing Lydia in her bid to seek legal justice for herself and her unborn child.

When she was told about the funds that SPUC supporters had raised for her legal trial, she was speechless for several minutes.

Lydia told me that she is determined to have her day in court.

She also made it clear that if she had known about SPUC, or if she could have found someone from the pro-life side to speak to before she entered the abortion clinic, the outcome for her and her baby would have been very different.

* Lawyers are currently preparing for the preliminary stage of a legal action, which involves pursuing means to hold the doctor responsible to account.
* This will include arranging for a specialist to assess the psychiatric impact her ordeal has had on Lydia and prepare for a full medical review.

Estimated cost: £42,000 – £84,000 (rising to £162,000, with later stage costs added)

The lesson here is that tragedies like Lydia’s can be prevented.

When there is someone on hand to listen and offer support, women who are under pressure to abort suddenly have a positive alternative: lives are saved, and tragedies avoided.
Crisis Pregnancy Fund Expanded
Three years ago, SPUC’s “The Alma Mater Fund” was established by SPUC Scotland to offer just such a positive alternative to university and college students. The Fund provides much needed grants to help pregnant students who are experiencing financial difficulties.

Last year, the Fund was extended to include Northern Ireland.

And now, thanks to your continued support, I am delighted to report that it has been possible to expand the scheme into England and Wales.

Estimated cost: £30,000
Our Work in Secondary Schools
For the past six years, SPUC has delivered its “Love and Responsibility” presentations in around 1-in-10 Scottish schools.

The programme now features a section on how to spot and resist abortion coercion.

The presentation gives students a chance to pause, step back and consider whether they or their loved ones are experiencing some kind of coercion.

Student feedback shows that over 95% of students were “glad” that they heard the presentation.

I would dearly love to roll-out the presentation across the whole of the UK.

More full-time speakers need to be recruited and trained so that students in other parts of Britain can benefit from this popular form of pro-life educational outreach.

But increased coverage comes with increased costs.

And we can’t cover these alone.

Estimated cost: £35,000
Northern Ireland Legal Challenge
It’s been three years since Westminster de-criminalised abortion in Northern Ireland.

* Since March 2020, 4,136 abortions have been performed – at a cost to the taxpayer of £1,985,280
* The Westminster Government wants to facilitate 6,500 abortions annually but, at present, health trusts only supply abortion drugs on an ad hoc basis.

Disputes between the parties at Stormont mean that funding for abortion has not been agreed. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, therefore, plans to finance his abortion agenda by reallocating money from the existing health budget.

But the Health Department is strapped for cash. For example, the Northern Ireland health service will not treat someone with cataracts until their sight is so bad that they could not legally drive – only then are they placed on a 5-year waiting list for an operation.

Nevertheless, the Westminster Government is determined to push through its abortion agenda even if taxpayers’ money earmarked to preserve health is instead used to end life.

Your vital support has enabled SPUC to challenge the Secretary of State’s deadly abortion programme in the courts.

Donate ([link removed])
There is no question that this legal action has helped slow down the implementation of this programme, saving the lives of many, many precious babies.

Our latest case was due to be heard by the Court of Appeal this month (November).

But I have just been informed that the Secretary of State has asked for the hearing to be adjourned until 23/24 January. This will entail further work for SPUC's lawyers, and worryingly, additional legal costs which have NOT been budgeted for.

Estimated cost: £95,000

Will you help ensure that SPUC’s pro-life work does not stall at this critical point?

Donate ([link removed])
Every month we rely on hundreds of donations in the order of £20 or £35 or £50 or £100 or £250 in order to pay for the Society’s life-saving services and legal challenges.

Without them, it simply isn’t possible to fight effectively on behalf of unborn babies and their mothers.

That is why I urge you to donate TODAY and help save precious babies’ lives.

Yours in defence of life,
Best regards,
John Deighan
Chief Executive
PS - Last month (27 October) we commemorated the tragic killing of 10 million unborn babies in the UK under the Abortion Act, legislation passed at Westminster 55 years ago.

As we reflect on the sheer scale of the killing, larger donations of £500 or £1,000 or £5,000 or more - which enable SPUC to compete more closely with our far wealthier opponents - take on an even greater importance.

As Stella Creasy MP has observed, “SPUC lobby hard”. But without your vital financial support, our opponents will almost certainly gain the upper hand.

If we don’t act NOW, they will continue to force women to live in a constant state of propaganda-induced fear and countless babies will die alone, unprotected and unloved.

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