Scottish grandmother arrested again for 'buffer zone' violation

Rose Docherty, a 75-year-old pro-life activist living in Scotland, has been arrested once again for violating a 'buffer zone' ordinance prohibiting pro-life activity within a certain area outside abortion facilities.

Key Takeaways:

• 75-year-old Rose Docherty was arrested in Scotland for peacefully holding a sign outside a hospital that commits abortions.

• It was Docherty's second arrest for a buffer zone violation this year.

• A U.S. State Department spokesperson responded by speaking out against the "egregious ... tyrannical suppression of free speech" in Europe.

The Details:

According to the Daily Mail UK, Docherty was arrested last week for standing outside Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow while holding a sign that read, ‘Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.’ The country's Safe Access Zones Act criminalizes protest within 200 meters of a facility that commits abortion.

This isn't the first time Docherty's quiet pro-life presence has resulted in her arrest; in February, she was arrested for holding the same sign outside the same hospital. Those charges were dropped in August.

75-year-old Rose Docherty has been arrested AGAIN for holding a sign

After her arrest, Docherty was led away in a van to a police cell where she was forced to stand for two hours, despite having had two hip replacements. She was released on bail after being prohibited from entering an even wider buffer zone around abortion facilities.

"I held my sign with love and compassion, inviting anyone who wants to chat, to do so – and stood peacefully, not approaching anyone," Docherty said following her arrest.

"Conversation is not forbidden on the streets of Glasgow. And yet, this is the second time I have been arrested for doing just that..."

Lorcan Price, legal counsel for ADF UK, which is representing Docherty, commented on her arrest.

“It’s deeply concerning that Scottish policing resources are being ploughed into arresting and prosecuting a peaceful grandmother offering to speak to people in public, rather than focusing on the problems caused by real crime in Glasgow," Price said.

“This is not a case about harassment, intimidation or violent protest – this is simply a grandmother, who held a sign offering to speak to anyone who would like to engage.” 

Zoom Out:

Buffer zone laws in the UK have prompted outcry among those who value the right to free speech, including in the United States.

Speaking in February, Vice President J.D. Vance decried the buffer zone legislation, citing a letter sent by the government of Scotland to people living within the buffer zone areas, warning them that private prayer in their own homes may be prohibited.

"This last October... the Scottish government began distributing letters to citizens whose houses lay within so-called safe access zones, warning them that even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law. Naturally, the government urged readers to report any fellow citizens suspected guilty of thought crime," Vance explained.

“In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat,” he said.

Docherty's arrest last week sparked further comment from U.S. officials. An unnamed State Department spokesperson reportedly told The Telegraph:

The arrest of Rose Docherty is another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe.

When 75-year-old grandmothers are being arrested for standing peacefully and offering conversation, common sense and basic civility are under attack.

The United States will always speak out against these violations of fundamental rights.

Though the United States does not have any widespread buffer zone laws like the UK and Scotland, there are numerous state and local jurisdictions that use laws and ordinances to impose their own buffer zones as an attempt to restrict pro-life activity and speech.