Finally.
Aggressive anti-choice protesters have been banned from protesting outside Melbourne’s abortion clinics.
Late last month, we brought you the disappointing news that the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants were free to continue gathering outside a Melbourne abortion clinic, after a Supreme Court found in the pro-life group’s favour. (Read more about that here.)
But now, there’s been an exciting development.
The Victoria government has agreed to a deal that will impose ‘protest exclusion zones’ outside abortion clinics in the state.
The government will introduce legislation into Parliament before the end of the year. The Greens have indicated they will vote for the legislation, while the Liberals will have a free vote.
The ban is therefore expected to take effect by the end of the year, according to Guardian News.
Sex party MP Fiona Patten negotiated the deal. She posted on Facebook: “I look forward to working with [the government] to ensure it passes through both houses.”
Related: Senator Larissa Waters writes: “This is why abortion must be accessible in Australia”.
She told Guardian News that while the original private member’s bill that she drafted called for 150-metre exclusion zones outside clinics, the exact distance might be negotiated.
The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants have been trying to stop pregnant women getting abortions for years outside the East Melbourne’s Fertility Control Clinic in particular by giving them pamphlets, waving placards and yelling slogans like “don’t kill your baby”.
Earlier this year, the clinic — outside which a security guard was fatally shot by an anti-abortionist in 2001 — took the issue to the Supreme Court.
In court, it argued that the Melbourne City Council was failing to protect women from threatening behaviour and harassment by refusing to remove the protesters.
We’re so pleased to hear that, even though the Supreme Court dismissed that legal argument, the state government plans to prohibit anti-choice harassment anyway.
It’s a loss for the zealots, but a win for reproductive freedom in Victoria.
And to that we say: Hallelujah.
For more on this topic, try these articles:
She’s 10 years old and pregnant. And she’s being denied an abortion.
We need more women like Jemima Kirke to talk openly about abortion.
“I know my abortion was the right choice.”
The Australian town where anti-abortion protesters are pushing women to self-harm.
Top Comments
Why is a legal/law enforcement solution so difficult to achieve for a basic human right? Namely, to go about one's lawful business without being harassed, intimidated and abused!
Not only are these abusers shouting vile things and getting in the faces of women at this clinic they are also spreading mis-information about contraception. I can't wait to see these exclusion zones in place, they are badly needed to protect patients and staff who are going about a legal procedure. They also affect businesses around the area / location. There is or was one of these centres in East Melbourne just down from the old Telstra learning ( 2 - 3 doors away) and when people went out for lunch most of them would go in the opposite direction just to keep away from them and those businesses that were in or around there direction would've been impacted.
What happened to Victoria's Charter of Rights and Responsibilities?
CHARTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT 2006 - SECT 16
Peaceful assembly and freedom of association
(1) Every person has the right of peaceful assembly.
(2) Every person has the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions.
It didn't take long for that to be ignored. Fiona Patten claims to support freedom, except when she doesn't like what you're saying or what you're protesting about.
I have no problem with peaceful assembly, but a lot of these protesters weren't peaceful.
I would be okay with it if they stood across the road from the clinic and waved their signs, but harassing people goes too far.
The key words are 'peaceful assembly.' People are allowed to protest in a civil way, but they can't harass or intimidate others.
The protesters aren't violent. They just stand there and show pictures and say things that other don't like.
What next banning people that protest against gay marriage?
It's heavily ironic when people bang on about freedom when they're seeking to control others' choices around abortion.