Anti-abortion advocates challenge buffer zone law
Jan 27th, 2008 by Rob
Massachusetts anti-abortion protesters are contesting a state law requiring them to stay at least 35 feet away from the entrances of clinics where abortions are performed.
The protesters, who filed suit January 18, say the law violates their First Amendment rights of free speech and free assembly.
Proponents of the bill, including the state’s Planned Parenthood offices, argue that it is an effective compromise. Angus McQuilken, vice president of public affairs, told the Boston Globe,
This law strikes the appropriate balance between free speech and the right to access health services free from violence, harassment, and intimidation.”
On the heels of the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, there have been numerous clashes between protestors and women attempting to enter clinics.
Attorneys for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal consortium, say the law goes too far, pushing the anti-abortion groups to the sidewalk. The Christian Post reports:
It’s ironic that Massachusetts, the ‘cradle of liberty,’ would pass a law that effectively creates a First Amendment-free zone that silences those who seek to share the truth about abortion,” said ADF attorney Tim Chandler.
The legal challenge will address a key balance – the right to make personal medical decisions free of harassment, and the right to access space that will be used for nonviolent protests. It has historically been difficult to create a hard-and-fast buffer zone on clinic grounds, as any effort to set a specific distance is considered by some to be content-based restriction on free speech.
