Arrested in Victoria for protesting at an abortion clinic.

[Culprit]

I am all for this law

"I intend to pursue this case to the High Court to prove that the "Safe Access Zone" amendment is unconstitutional because it burdens the constitutional freedom of political communication," Ms Clubb posted on Facebook.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-or ... 79a4f98a0b

I used to work near this clinic and these people are evil. This is a stunt to test the law and I hope they lose and have to pay full legal costs.

[stui magpie]

Is that the clinic on Wellington parade a bit east of Jolimont Station?

I used to walk past that years ago and those god botherers used to shit me to tears.

Abortion is legal and people should be able to enter the clinic without having photos of dead babies shoved in their face and being verbally abused.

There's free speech and then there's harassment.

[Morrigu]

It's not just a clinic for abortion ( well it wasn't don't know about now not that it matters) they provided very good women's health medicine services - surgical menopause and hormone treatments etc!

I hated these bastards with a passion and had many a heated argument with them - how fckn dare they shove their shite down people's throat and they were unbelievably aggressive and had no concept or care about invading your personal space - closest I've ever come to snotting someone - so very close!!

I love this law - they must fail in their challenge so that Ms Clubb and the rest of the band of numpties can learn that they cannot impose their will or belief in what they interpret as their sky fairy's doctrine on others and learn to respect and accept the choices of individuals and not attempt to impose their will by vile harassment!!!

[David]

There's free speech and then there's harassment.

This sums it up for me, too. Of course it's a fine line and I wouldnt want to see the laws go too far the other way (the right to protest, after all, must be protected). But harassing individual women walking into a clinic is unacceptable, and hopefully something that these exclusion zones will put an end to.

[Dave The Man]

Bloody Bible Bashes.

They should Piss Off.

Having a Abortion can be a Very Sensible Thing

[Jezza]

I'm fine with protesting, but intimidating and threatening those attending the clinic is another thing all together.

[Dave The Man]

I'm fine with protesting, but intimidating and threatening those attending the clinic is another thing all together.

That is breaking the Law

[Wokko]

Everyone thinks restricting protest is a good idea when they're ideologically opposed to the protest.

If they assault people then arrest them, otherwise they should be free to express their view and protest something they find to be fundamentally wrong. If you cheer on restricting pro lifers then don't sook once union or pro-refugee protests or whoever is winning the privilege olympics at the moment get shut down.

[Jezza]

I'm fine with protesting, but intimidating and threatening those attending the clinic is another thing all together.

That is breaking the Law

Protesting isn't illegal and shouldn't be illegal regardless of how silly or absurd the cause may be, but threatening to inflict harm on someone is illegal and is another legal matter separate from your right to protest.

[think positive]

Everyone thinks restricting protest is a good idea when they're ideologically opposed to the protest.

If they assault people then arrest them, otherwise they should be free to express their view and protest something they find to be fundamentally wrong. If you cheer on restricting pro lifers then don't sook once union or pro-refugee protests or whoever is winning the privilege olympics at the moment get shut down.

Great post

An exclusion area is a good idea, but the. It would be for all protests

[Culprit]

The exclusion area is what is required with these pro life nutters. The law was to stop them harassing, spitting, intimidating and abusing people that enter these clinics. They are religious extremists and we are lucky they don't have easy access to explosives and weapons.

[stui magpie]

Everyone thinks restricting protest is a good idea when they're ideologically opposed to the protest.

If they assault people then arrest them, otherwise they should be free to express their view and protest something they find to be fundamentally wrong. If you cheer on restricting pro lifers then don't sook once union or pro-refugee protests or whoever is winning the privilege olympics at the moment get shut down.

Great post

An exclusion area is a good idea, but the. It would be for all protests

As I said earlier, protesting is one thing, harassment is another.

Everyone has the right to protest but if the form of that protest includes harassing innocent people then they need to be moved back.

People have the right to protest, people also have the right to go about undertaking legal activities without being harassed and bullied by people who don't agree with that activity.

Same reason an exclusion zone exists for protesters against duck hunting, a legal but unpopular activity.

Wokko is right in that it's can't only be one way.

That's also why I disagree as I've said before with allowing counter protests to happen at the same time. There needs to be separation.

[Morrigu]

Everyone thinks restricting protest is a good idea when they're ideologically opposed to the protest.

If they assault people then arrest them, otherwise they should be free to express their view and protest something they find to be fundamentally wrong. If you cheer on restricting pro lifers then don't sook once union or pro-refugee protests or whoever is winning the privilege olympics at the moment get shut down.

Their right to protest has not been restricted, they can protest all day and all night if they like!

If they had a scrap of human decency and respected others basic rights to go about their business without being charged at and being screamed at and abused a few millimetres from their face by a complete stranger in a threatening manner then a safe exclusion zone would not have been required - they didn't, they don't so they can get stuffed!!!

You have a daughter you would be happy for grown men ( and many many of them are) to be able to intimidate and threaten her in such a manner ?

[ronrat]

Well done on Fiona Patten for getting this law through.

[David]