The law is a very specific amendment

The amendment bars “influencing, impeding or threatening, intimidating or harassing, advising or persuading, using graphic, physical, verbal or written means to inform attendees about abortion services”.

Hence "extending".

The regulation does not prohibit people being physically in a public street. She was arrested because she said she might have been praying silently.

I can only comment on what is in front of me

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.

I don't.

An interesting quote

'it was 'obvious' that the anti-abortion campaigner was trying to martyr herself and she deliberately went to the abortion clinic to get arrested. It's so obvious she's martyring herself in the glare of the public as a way of publicising her beliefs, she knowingly went into that area to get arrested.'

I agree with this. I am sure you do too. And let's not forget she travelled at least 35 miles to get to the abortion clinic. There are plenty of cemeteries far closer.

Jesus was quite clear that people should pray quietly at home not conspicuously in the street "like the hypocrites do". ''Do not pray on like the hypocrites do, for they all like to be seen by men; they stand in prayer before synagogues and at street corners. I am telling you the truth, they already have the payment they crave. When you pray, enter into your room, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father, Who is hidden.'' Matthew 6:5

According to Jesus, hypocrites appear righteous to others but are merely play-acting and are full of deceit.Matthew 23:28. That seems to cover it.

So, is she a hypocrite and/or was she standing in the street to discourage and humiliate vulnerable young women considering abortion?

We shall see what happens when she appears at Birmingham Magistrates Court on February 2 charged with four counts of failing to comply with a Public Space Protection Order.

Edited by Mapletree (29 Dec 2022 11.58am)

I don't see why there should be much debate about this, it's quite obvious what this women was trying to achieve or intending in her actions. To argue against it is at best an exhausting process which would never fully justify any differing hypothesis.

The debate should however be as to whether or not this should justify authority to arrest her? Whilst it may well be a very deliberate and obvious attempt to push limits, has the ball actually gone out of play? Does silent prayer constitute a protest or intimidation? I'd gently suggest not.

I do however have concerns about the law supposedly having authority to arrest individuals based upon the subjective feelings of others, whether they be plausible, logical or not. The act of standing silently in a place should not be a crime. Whether you agree with abortion or not you can't dictate to others how they must or must not act, in public, to suit your own needs/requirements of the world.

Furthermore, my beef primarily lies with the supposed police capacity to enforce such power whilst their inability to attend the likes of (very often mentioned) burglaries go massively under-investigated/resolved. That screams of an ideological thought police force as opposed to one that is seeking to actively solve and reduce cut and dry crimes and pursue actual criminals.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!