First person arrested under new anti-abortion protest law in Glasgow
By Michael Förtsch via Unsplash
A 74-year-old woman in Glasgow has become the first person to be arrested in Scotland under new anti-abortion protesting legislation.
The new anti-abortion protesting laws make it illegal for anti-abortion protesters to gather near abortion clinics.
The arrest took place at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on Wednesday, with the woman being arrested for breaching the safe access zone on Hardgate Road.
Police Scotland have said that enquiries are still ongoing and that she will be reported to the Prosecutor Fiscal.
By georgeclerk via Getty Images
This has marked the first arrest under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024.
This legislation is to create safe zones near abortion healthcare services around Scotland, by prohibiting anti-abortion protests within 200 metres of abortion clinics.
The government has said that this is to ensure that women can access abortions without obstruction and to safeguard public health facilities.
People who break this law can be fined up to £10,000. However, if the case is extremely serious, they could go before a judge and a jury and face an unlimited fine.