Abortion

New Zealand Anti-Choice Protesters Claim It Must Be Someone Else Harassing Women

As more patients complain about harassment at a hospital newly providing abortions, the local Right to Life swear they are just "praying."

Photo: Teara.

It’s only been a few months now since the new clinic in Invercargill, New Zealand began performing abortions, but protesting from anti-choice activists has quickly escalated, and they care very little about whether their targets are involved in or seeking out pregnancy terminations at all. 

Via Fairfax NZ News:

“The committee has heard distressing reports from certifying consultants where they, their families, patients and wider public have been the subject of harassment.

“Particularly distressing are reports of women seeking fertility assistance who have been harassed when they were mistakenly thought to be seeking pregnancy terminations.”

Right to Life spokesman Ken Orr disputed their gatherings were anything but peaceful and supportive of women.

“The people who have vigils outside hospitals and clinic are there in a prayerful presence.”

The Right for Life group were not responsible for bullying or threatening staff as their group opposed violence, he said.

The clinic has already received anonymous threats of intention to “destroy” the clinic, and although anti-choice leaders claim the groups are simply being “prayerful” it’s clear that the opponents have a very different definition of “supporting” women.

Allegedly the women seeking out fertility treatments are simply mistakenly caught in the crossfire, but they could be being intentionally targeted as well. After all, many of the very religious anti-choice activists who oppose abortion oppose fertility treatments as well, believing that some are just as sinful as terminating a pregnancy is supposed to be. To dissuade couples from “unnaturally” creating life would be seen as a perk rather than just an unfortunately byproduct of their crusade against abortion.