Politicians and campaigners have slammed the Government’s decision to press ahead with legislation to ban pro-life gatherings near healthcare facilities that offer abortion. The ban is so wide it could even include silent prayer vigils [1].
The exclusion zone bill intends banning “displaying any item, whether symbolic or otherwise, with the intended or likely effect of influencing a person’s decision to access termination of pregnancy services”.
Aontú Councillor Sarah O’Reilly said the proposals are “totally undemocratic” [2].
“Everyone should be permitted to peacefully protest and demonstrate against practices or human rights abuses which they disagree with. Abortion ends the life of defenceless human beings – it is only natural for people to wish to protest against such a thing”, she said.
Eilís Mulroy of the Pro Life Campaign [3] said the Government’s plan “sets a very dangerous precedent for denying freedom of expression and the right to peacefully assemble in public areas. The proposal being put forward is a wholly disproportionate response to the risk that a tiny number of people may at some point in the future engage in harassing behaviour close to an abortion facility”.