Buffer zones protect patients and keep protests at bay
Scotland’s safe access zones have protected patients and staff and kept protesters at bay, says Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay.
Ms Mackay was commenting on the first day of anti-choice protests near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow. At present there are no signs of protesters breaching the safe access zone.
Ms Mackay introduced the bill that secured 200 metre wide safe access zones, or buffer zones, around abortion service providers to stop the intimidating anti-choice protests that have taken place across Scotland.
Ms Mackay said:
“Safe access zones were introduced to protect patients and staff at our hospitals and to keep the protesters at bay, and that is what they have done.
“The fact that only a small number of protesters turned up and they have been consigned to roads that are further from the hospital is an important step forward.
“Nobody should have to pass graphic banners and placards to access healthcare, and I hope that these protests will become a thing of the past.
“I urge the protesters to read the testimony of the many women who have felt intimidated and judged by their actions and to ask themselves if they really want to be responsible for such hurt.
“Over the days ahead we will learn from the implementation of the Act and how we can best protect people accessing healthcare.
“I encourage anyone who has been badly impacted by today’s protests to get in touch with myself or the Scottish Government so that we can consider what else we can do going forward.”
Ms Mackay added:
“Abortion rights are human rights. The ignorant claims from the US Vice President have emboldened trolls on social media, but the vast majority of people in Scotland support the right to go to hospital without harassment.”