PRESS RELEASE: NO TRADE PRESSURE FROM THE US SHOULD OVERRIDE OUR ABORTION RIGHTS — PROSECUTING HARASSMENT IS NOT A FREE SPEECH VIOLATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STARTS

LONDON, 1 April 2025 — The Westminster Government must not bow to pressure from the US or any foreign government seeking to undermine our hard-won protections for women accessing abortion care. The prosecution of Livia Tossici-Bolt is not an attack on free speech—it is a long-overdue defence against targeted harassment outside abortion clinics.

Let’s be clear: this is not about peaceful dialogue. Tossici-Bolt’s actions, like those of others who exploit so-called “free speech” to target women in vulnerable moments, are part of a wider anti-abortion agenda that seeks to intimidate, shame, and deter people from accessing essential healthcare.

If the US government wants to throw its weight around in defence of people interfering outside UK clinics, it is not defending liberty—it is defending harassment. Abortion is legal in this country. Access must be safe, private, and protected. Buffer zones exist for a reason, and when they are breached, the law must be enforced.

Abortion Rights Kerry Abel, Chair said:

“We reject the false narrative that harassment equals free speech. No woman should be forced to run a gauntlet of moral judgment or veiled intimidation just to access healthcare. The US can keep its trade threats—our rights are not for sale.”

Britain’s buffer zone laws reflect a democratic decision to balance public freedom with private dignity. The idea that international trade with the US should depend on our willingness to tolerate anti-abortion picketing is absurd and offensive.

This is not about a single sign. This is about a pattern of behaviour that uses “conversation”” as a cover for stigma and shame. This isn’t a peaceful protest — it’s anti-abortion harassment dressed up as free speech. No one has the right to target women seeking healthcare.

Sir Keir Starmer must stand firm. No government should trade away women’s rights in exchange for tariff relief. If the US wants to interfere with our laws to appease its own culture wars, we say: not on our streets, and not on our terms.

Human rights include abortion rights. And harassment is not free speech.

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CONTACT

Kerry Abel
Chair, Abortion Rights
📧 choice@abortionrights.org.uk
X Twitter: @Abortion_Rights
🌐 www.abortionrights.org.uk

WHO WE ARE

Abortion Rights is the only grassroots, member-powered pro-choice campaign in Britain, dedicated to ensuring that abortion remains safe, free, legal, and accessible for all.
Our mission is to defend and advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental right. We campaign, mobilise, and speak out against threats to abortion access wherever they arise — from the streets outside clinics to Parliament and beyond.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Safe Access Zones (commonly referred to as “buffer zones”) were introduced in England and Wales on 19 October 2023 through the Public Order Act 2023.
These zones ban protest activity—including vigils, displays, and “offers of help”—within 150 metres of abortion service providers.
The law was introduced to protect patients and staff from harassment, intimidation, and unwanted interference outside clinics.
Scotland passed its Safe Access Zone legislation on 20 June 2024, following years of campaigning by healthcare providers, advocacy groups, and patients. The legislation prohibits protest activity within 200 metres of abortion clinics.
Violating a buffer zone is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine or, in more serious cases, court proceedings.