NSW MP Calls For Abortion Clinic Safe-Zones After ‘Immediate Impact’ In VIC

She said allowing police to move protesters along within a 150-metre vicinity of a clinic would stop more vocal protesters labelling women and medical practitioners “child murderers” and flashing “very graphic images of foetuses.”

Sharpe said the push was partially motivated by the seeing protesters surround a clinics in Surry Hills and Albury – demonstrations that have recently seen counter-protests from groups like My Body, My Right.

?? @philippa_bateman Yesterday on Devonshire Street #mybodymyright got bark Thanks #surryhills for your overwhelming support for #safezone legislation in #NSW @mikebairdmp are you listening yet?

A photo posted by @mybody.myright on Apr 15, 2016 at 7:09pm PDT

As a woman’s right to decide what happens in her body is still somehow the subject of debate, anti-abortion campaigners have labelled the move a likely attack on free speech. Of course. 

The thing is, Sharpe’s argument to amend the Summary Offences Act comes at an incredibly fortuitous time, ’cause Victoria’s fast-tracked buffer-zone laws have already come into affect. And affected parties are absolutely beaming. 

Dr Susie Allanson, a clinical psychologist at a Melbourne fertility clinic, said on Tuesday the zone allowed workers to enter the facility without harassment for the first time in 30 years. 

Victoria’s Health Minister Jill Hennessy also praised the move, saying “for too long, women accessing abortion services have been unfairly abused and intimidated, and it’s time it stopped.”

Similar moves have also been made in Tassie and the ACT, adding credence to the whole idea. 

While the laws regarding abortion differ between states – in NSW, it’s only offered in cases where a pregnancy is deemed a risk to a woman’s health or mental wellbeing – such a clear demonstration of the new laws working has got to count for something. 

Source: ABC / The Guardian.
Photo: My Body My Right / Instagram.