Pro-abortion campaigners are hoping to see a nationwide ban rolled out on prayer vigils outside clinics.
Ealing Council voted unanimously to impose a public spaces protection order (PSPO) last night on a Marie Stopes abortion clinic in west London. The measure means that no group, either pro-life or pro-choice can demonstrate within 100 metres of the centre on Mattock Lane.
It comes after The Good Counsel Network, an anti-abortion group, was accused of intimidation and harassment of women entering the clinic. Director Clare McCullough categorically denies any abuse or intimidation.
But now campaigners are hoping to see a ban on prayer vigils rolled out across the country.
Richard Bentley, managing director at Marie Stopes UK, hailed Ealing's decision as a 'landmark' one that spelled 'the beginning of the end' for anti-abortion groups' protests.
'We know other councils have been watching this process and some are exploring similar measures to increase protection outside clinics in their areas.
'Ultimately, we believe every woman in the UK should be able to access abortion services without harassment and we hope this decision marks the beginning of the end of the harassment these groups undertake nationwide,' he said.
'This was never about protest. It was about small groups of strangers choosing to gather by our entrance gates where they could harass and intimidate women and try to prevent them from accessing healthcare to which they are legally entitled. Ealing Council has sent a clear message that this kind of behaviour should not be tolerated, and that these groups have no justification for trying to involve themselves in one of the most personal decisions a woman can make.'
Sister Supporter, an Ealing based pro-choice lobby group, added the decision was 'an important milestone'.
'This is only the start of the journey to bring this 22 year legacy of harassment to a close,' a statement read. 'We hope that other councils and eventually the Government will follow, in protecting women from harm when accessing healthcare.'
However Elizabeth Howard from Be Here for Me, an anti-abortion group of mothers who say they were helped by protestors outside abortion clinics, told Christian Today the vigil offers help and support to desperate women.
'This is about supporting women who want to keep their baby. If you are a woman who does not have a visa you do not have recourse to state funds. The only thing the state will offer you is a free abortion,' she said, adding the Good Counsel Network had given housing, food and support to women who had felt pressurised into have a termination.
If a ban on abortion vigils was rolled out across the country 'it would mean that women who have no other alternative are forced into having an abortion,' she told Christian Today. 'It would mean a massive increase in coerced abortions. Many women who go to the abortion centre are being forced into it.
'It it simply naive to think they are about to find help on the internet or from a vigil which is 100 metres down the road.'
She added: 'It is an extremely dangerous precedent to ban a group because you do not agree with what they are saying or because you do not agree with what they think. Are we going to stop anti-fox hunting protestors or people protesting against animal research? Just because you disagree does not mean you stop them expressing their view.'
The Home Office is conducting a review on abortion protests and is looking into new laws that could see buffer zones preventing protests outside clinics.
Home secretary Amber Rudd said: 'While everyone has a right to peaceful protest, it is completely unacceptable that anyone should feel harassed or intimidated simply for exercising their legal right to healthcare advice and treatment.
'The decision to have an abortion is already an incredibly personal one, without women being further pressured by aggressive protesters. Let me be clear, this review is about ensuring the police, healthcare providers and local authorities have the right powers to protect women making these tough decisions.
'But this isn't to kick the issue into the long grass. The review will collect the detailed evidence and firm recommendations that allow us to take the right action to tackle this problem.'
