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A range of measures to deter activists will now be considered after Ealing councillors voted unanimously on Tuesday night to support a motion calling for action to be taken.
Councillor Binda Rai said she was “thrilled” by the outcome, adding: “This is really a stand for women, and for women’s rights to access healthcare that is legally available to them.”
Pro-choice supporters claimed that vigils staged outside the Marie Stopes Clinic on Mattock Lane were causing intimidation and harassment for patients and local residents.
Richard Bentley, managing director at Marie Stopes UK, said: “This ground-breaking move by Ealing Council sets a national precedent for ending the harassment of women using legal healthcare services.
“We hope that other local authorities will follow this example and act to increase protection for women in their area.”
The Good Counsel Network told Premier its members have been holding vigils outside for more than 23 years and their work is entirely peaceful.
On Monday, Clare McCullough from the Catholic group said: “We’ve been holding daily vigils there for the last four years. There have never been any incidents there. There have never been any arrests of charges made there against anybody.”
One option to be considered by Ealing Borough Council will be introducing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). Previously used to tackle begging and street drinking, it which would force pro-life activists to move.
A public consultation into any proposed action will be held at a later.
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