Pro-life group defends anti-abortion posters targeting Stella Creasy after huge backlash

A pro-life group has defended a series of graphic posters aimed at rallying opposition against Labour MP Stella Creasy's abortion views.

The posters appeared in Walthamstow - Creasy's constituency - and promoted an accompanying campaign website, StopStella.com. 

Creasy, who is pregnant, is behind the amendment passed in Westminster earlier this year paving the way for the legalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland up to the point of viability.  The changes are due to come into effect on October 22. 

The posters were launched in Walthamstow by the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR UK), which works closely with churches under its 'Brephos' ministry, and is running a #StopStella campaign calling on Creasy to "stop promoting human rights abuses of children in the womb". 

One billboard showed the image of what the group claimed was an aborted 24-week-old baby girl, while another showed a foetus described in the poster as being nine weeks old. 

The advertisements triggered a huge backlash and were painted over in white ahead of removal by the advertising agency Clear Channel after Creasy contacted the police. 

Creasy has also called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to stop the "harassment of women" in Walthamstow. 

Commenting on Twitter, Creasy said that the campaign against her had made her "feel physically sick". 

She added that the police had said they would not use PSPO [public spaces protection orders] powers to remove the campaigners. 

In another tweet, she attacked Clear Channel for running the advert, saying: "Twitter-can you get me the CEO of @CCUK_Direct advertising? how much did you get for this crap? @metpoliceuk still think this is just 'free speech' and not harassment of women in walthamstow? Am sorry for the graphic images and @patel4witham am reaching out to you for help now." 

She was defended by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who said the campaign was "sickening" and confirmed that police were investigating. 

"Whilst the right to peaceful protest must be respected, behaviour that deliberately targets women for harassment and intimidation should not be tolerated.@MetPoliceUK are investigating," he tweeted.

The Advertising Standards Authority said it was assessing whether the advert warranted further action.

"To confirm, we have received complaints about this ad and are currently carefully assessing them to determine whether there are grounds for action under our rules," it tweeted. 

In a statement, CBR UK denied harassment and said it would be "looking further into the legality" of its posters being removed. 

"The #StopStella Campaign is calling upon Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, to stop promoting human rights abuses of children in the womb. We do so through the use of scientifically verified images of unborn children," it said.

"These are being displayed on billboards, phone kiosks and handheld displays in Walthamstow city centre, juxtaposed with words or images that accurately portray Stella's position on abortion." 

CBR UK said that the campaign had been conducted "in full compliance to the law" and that the images "were approved by the Advertising Standards Agency before use". 

The group went on to say that the removal of the ads by Clear Channel was "unjust and unfair".

"The decision of Clear Channel to remove the images prevents large swathes of Walthamstow residents from knowing the truth about fetal development and Stella's position on abortion," it said. 

"No one is being harassed. Holding politicians (even pregnant ones) to account for their public policy is not harassment but political discourse.

"No slanderous, untrue, or unverifiable statement has been made about Stella in our campaign. A fact that is proved by both the police report of 28th Sept and ASA approval of our billboard images.

"Stella Creasy is being targeted not because she is pregnant but because she is the lead architect of laws removing the human rights of unborn children, both in her Northern Irish Amendments and her proposed amendments to the Domestic Abuse bill.

"The fact that she is pregnant, has been fighting for maternity rights and regularly tweets about it simply feeds into the hypocrisy of her legislation.

"The question politicians and Walthamstow residents should be asking is not how do the images make them feel but are they true?

"We invite Stella Creasy or anyone she wishes to put forward to a formal debate on the issue of abortion." 

Other pro-life groups have defended CBR UK over the posters. 

March4Life UK tweeted: "What is graphic about a 9 week baby? We were all like this once...and because we were all like this once, we believe the unborn are worth protecting." 

The Good Counsel Network, which holds prayer vigils outside abortion clinics, said: "As an MP she is being confronted with pictures of what she wants to legalise. In fact she wants to legalise even later term abortions than that. If she recognises it is vile why does she want to legalise it?" 

Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, said: "I am sorry @stellacreasy that you feel sick but the image demonstrates that the unborn child is #oneofus and worthy of our love, care & protection. A civilised society protects the most vulnerable amongst us and their mothers." 

Creasy responded to Williams' tweet by telling her to "get the hell off my timeline with your poison". 

"The lies as well as hatred for the living women people like you are happy to put through torture and risk the lives of in pursuit of controlling them. May god forgive you for misusing his name in this way," Creasy said. 

Despite the strong response from Creasy, Williams has continued to speak out in support of the campaign, saying later: "Let's speak Life for our unborn children.@stellacreasy talks of being harassed but all the campaign does is make known the reality of abortion. We have to face up to what it is." 

UnHerd columnist Paul Embery argued that the poster campaign did not warrant a police investigation.   

"Living in a free society means accepting that your opponents have a right to put their case, no matter how strongly you disagree with it," he said on Twitter.

"And being an MP means accepting that those opponents have a right to lobby you directly. This is not a police matter."