40 Days For Life 'prayer vigil' outside Queen Elizabeth Hospital<br /><br />A law to ensure buffer zones around abortion clinics is needed "quickly", the health secretary has said.<br /><br />Neil Gray described protests from anti abortion groups outside medical facilities as "unacceptable".<br /><br />Mr Gray was speaking at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow, one of several sites targeted by the 40 Days for Life pro-life group.<br /><br />The US-based organisation have now begun a Lenten series of protests outside Scottish facilities.<br /><br />The health secretary, who was appointed last week, added that he hoped to see legislation passed to restrict the rights of anti abortion protestors to demonstrate around medical sites.<br /><br />Green Party MSP Gillian Mackay last year introduced a member's bill at the Scottish Parliament that would block any protests taking place within 200 metres of clinics.<br /><br />Mr Gray said that the Scottish government were "very supportive" of the bill.<br /><br />He added: "We want to see it move through parliament as quickly as possible.<br /><br />"Of course we want to see a right to protest protected, but that cannot impede on women accessing medical services and feeling in fear of accessing those services."<br /><br />Ms Mackay said that the protests amounted to "targeted intimidation" of women who were getting an abortion.<br /><br />The MSP added that she hoped this would be the last year women would have to face the protests.<br /><br />And she said that the demonstrations had an "awful impact" both on patients and staff.<br /><br />The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill proposes pro-life campaigners be fined if they a protest within 200 metres of medical facilities - with unlimited fines for serious breaches.<br /><br />Demonstrations have taking place outside the QEUH for eight years.<br /><br />40 Days for Life said the protests were simply "prayer vigils" to end abortion and took place as the group had "compassion and concern" for the women attending the facilities.<br /><br />Robert Colquhoun, director of campaigns, said: "This isn't a way to target people.<br /><br />"It is important to go and pray where abortion happens because abortion doesn't happen in the parliament, it doesn't happen in the law courts, it doesn't happen in schools and universities - it happens in the local community.<br /><br />"We've seen many women change their minds who otherwise would not have changed their minds [because of the vigils]."<br /><br />e added that if legislation were introduced the group would continue to protest within the law, but that other people may take action differently on an individual basis.<br /><br />The group's CEO and president, Shawn Carney, said that the legislation would be "targeted bigotry" towards 40 Days for Life.
