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Police use draconian 'riot law' to break up pro-life vigil outside abortion clinic
mail online ^ | Arthur Martin and Simon Caldwell

Posted on 06/06/2014 10:04:21 PM PDT by Morgana

Pro-life campaigners have been threatened with arrest under a draconian ‘riot law’ for holding prayer vigils outside an abortion clinic.

Police used legislation which is commonly used to disperse rioters and football hooligans to force three campaigners to move away from the clinic on two separate occasions over the past six weeks.

Officers issued the group, who try to persuade women to keep their unborn babies, with Section 14 Public Order Act notices.

The strongly worded notice, which was used on both occasions, read: ‘I believe the intention of the organisers is the intimidation of others with a view to compelling them not to do any act they have a right to do.’

The Scotland Yard inspectors said they thought the group posed a ‘serious risk of disruption to the life of the community’.

The group was then ordered by police to continue its vigil on the other side of the road, which meant protesters were unable to talk to any of the patients at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic.

Staff at the BPAS clinic have called the police on several occasions to complain about the ‘intimidating behaviour’ of the campaigners. They say the Catholic group is harassing pregnant patients by showing them large photographs of embryos at various stages of pregnancy.

However the pro-life campaigners, from the Good Counsel Network (GCN), claim they are acting within the law and only speak to women who are willing to talk.

Last night the Metropolitan Police admitted its officers had made a mistake and said the ‘riot law’ should not have been used.

But Justyna Pasek, 33, a pregnancy adviser for GCN, said she felt like a criminal when her small team was stopped by the police.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Conspiracy
KEYWORDS: abortion; abortionist; draconian; england; london; prolife; riotlaw

1 posted on 06/06/2014 10:04:21 PM PDT by Morgana
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To: Morgana
The strongly worded notice, which was used on both occasions, read: ‘I believe the intention of the organisers is the intimidation of others with a view to compelling them not to do any act they have a right to do.’

Did the police give themselves the same notices?

2 posted on 06/06/2014 10:07:57 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: Morgana

Foolish mind slaves! You’re living in Orwell’s Britistan now.


3 posted on 06/06/2014 10:16:39 PM PDT by Viennacon
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To: Mastador1

‘We hand out leaflets to pregnant women and speak to women who want to speak to us,’ she said, adding: ‘We don’t chase after women, we don’t stop anyone from going into the clinic and we never block the gates.


4 posted on 06/06/2014 10:24:19 PM PDT by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: All

jeepers, I wished they had thought of that to disperse the occupiers.


5 posted on 06/06/2014 10:25:45 PM PDT by willywill
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To: Morgana

Scotland Yard should change their name to Mecca Outhouse


6 posted on 06/06/2014 10:42:45 PM PDT by ZULU (Impeach Obama NOW.)
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To: gunsequalfreedom

Homosexual rights advocates would have been given a pass had they employed the very same techniques.


7 posted on 06/07/2014 6:48:12 AM PDT by theBuckwheat
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