Should the government make it illegal to protest outside an abortion clinic?
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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-abortion-protest-bill-1.4372090
I'm pro-choice but I'm also pro-free speech. In Ontario they just placed very specific limits on where pro-life protesters can be in relation to abortion clinics. I think this is the right move. Frederick recently posted a topic asking whether anti-protesters near protesters is inhibiting free speech. Well, how about the government placing restrictions on where a protest can be held?
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There is a long history in Canada of the (various) governments limiting when/where public protest is allowed to happen.
The very specific problem with protests at health clinics - which usually provide services besides abortions - is that they are designed to prevent people from going to work at the clinic or from recieving services at the clinic. Using force or intimidation to prevent a person from doing something legal is called 'criminal mischief' under Canadian laws - I don't know about other jurisdictions.
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I support free speech, but I also support the other "rights".
I don't have a problem removing people from the immediate area to prevent the face to face harassment or blocking the entrances. Across the street doesn't bother me.
