Abortion rights under attack (again)

[aliceliddell]

Anti-abortionists were in Maidstone last week; apparently they're copying the US now. Oh deep joy. Here we go again...

[SardineQueen]

Do you have a link?

What were they doing?

[WeDONTneedanotherhero]

There is a pro-choice demo in London on the 9th July, I've put the details in activism

[MooncupGoddess]

Ah yes. These people set up near where I work for a month or so recently. Had to pass them every day at lunchtime. Apart from scowling at them, I didn't know how best to register my disagreement without getting all cross and shouty; does anyone have any good ideas?

[SardineQueen]

Shocking.

A big surprise on the names of the people running the anti-abortion organisations and activities mentioned in the article. That would be Philip, Andy, and Robert.

[SardineQueen]

What the fuck is happening to our society? Where is all this awful stuff coming from?

[MooncupGoddess]

Actually (and I know I'm just talking to myself here), maybe the thing to do would be to go up to them with a big smile and hand them a bunch of pro-choice leaflets.

Sigh at Philip, Andy and Robert. There were quite a few women involved with the vigil too, though. They stood there for hours at a time. Don't these people have jobs? Or other family commitments?

[aliceliddell]

Well done re links sisters. We need a plan...London demo good start. What next?

[sparky246]

Sardinequeen[what the fuck is happening to our society]
yep-i was going to say that-we are going backwards!
you know what-i dont know if it was last year or the year before but...
i saw something about the goverment having this new group of people and they was going to take advice from them regarding family life ect.
this group of people was all from churches and places of worship!
i remember thinking at the time that this was bad news.
maybe this is why this is happening?
well-with whats been happening lately aswell[hence some threads]
it looks a bit suss dont it?

[alexpolismum]

When I read 'under attack' and then 'copying the US' I thought I was going to read about bombs planted at clinics! I was quite relieved to see it was prayer vigils! The Guardian article does say that the protestors were not received well by passers-by, so perhaps that's something positive. Ordinary people do not necessarily agree with them.

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

It's amazing how much these people seem to really care about fetuses, isn't it. Their hearts positively bleed for clumps of cells that have no kind of independent life - and yet they don't seem to care that if women were forced to carry their pregnancy to term it might land the actual, living, independent children of the family into poverty etc.

[AyeRobot]

SQ, I find it really disturbing that these people (and the disablists, the common-or-garden sexists and the fuck-the-poor-because-i'm-all-right-jackers) have been waiting oh so patiently for Labour to be out of government because they knew that they would get nowhere until they went.

I am starting to not like Britain much. And I'm not even politically partisan.

[DuelingFanjo]

They give Christians a bad name.

[DuelingFanjo]

this is really interesting.

"The great majority of women who have abortions do not experience adverse psychological sequelae...Although abortion can be associated with a range of feelings, long term feelings of sadness, guilt and regret appear to linger in only a minority of women"

[SardineQueen]

Ayerobot yes a lot of nasties crawling out of the woodwork now it's safe...

I was thinking of moving to Scotland if they gain independence. They seem more sensible up there.

[SardineQueen]

Mind you they probabyl won't want us

[iskra]

I live round the corner from an MSI in London, & there are occasional prayer vigils/leaflet handing outs there. I glare at them, refuse their leaflets & call up MSI to make sure they know they are there. It's generally a solitary woman but once it was 4 men.

[bigfatcath]

What about freedom of speech/ demonstration????

dons on hard hat, already under flame proof shelter

[slhilly]

I'm always tempted to try some of their shock tactics back at them. God knows there's enough sad statistics and photos about maternal mortality, the consequences of backstreet abortion in countries where legal abortions aren't allowed, rape resulting in pregnancy and as a weapon of war, etc etc. Funny how they don't spend any time protesting against any of that violence and misery.

[alexpolismum]

good point, slhilly. Perhaps they should organise their prayer vigils outside the embassies of countries with high maternal mortality rates.

bigfatcath - do you think that the antiabortionists respect the freedoms of women over their own bodies? Freedom of speech is not absolute, or there would be no libel/slander legislation, no legislation against racist speech, etc.

[RamblingRosa]

There were some American pro-life religious types holding a silent vigil outside BPAS in London a few weeks back too. I walked past them a few times on my way to work. They looked about 14. Honestly. They were so young. What would make a lad that young spend a week standing around on the street holding up placards of foetuses?

[bigfatcath]

What would make a lad that young spend a week standing around on the street holding up placards of foetuses?


They are there because they think that fetuses are babies. I'm pro choice but agree with the right to peaceful protest. I don't agree with people burning poppies or pro hunting protesters but I agree with their right to protest.

When I saw the title of the thread I thought that abortion providers were being threatened with violence not silent prayer protests