First abortion buffer zone arrest in Scotland is an elderly woman holding ‘silent vigil’

Days after U.S. Vice President JD Vance spoke with concern about the assault on free speech in Europe, a woman has been confronted by police for standing silently within the “buffer zone” surrounding an abortion facility in Scotland. Last fall, Scotland residents were warned about the implementation of the new buffer zone policies, which they were told could even impact their activities inside their own homes.

On February 18, British pro-life activist Lois McLatchie Miller shared footage on X of 74-year-old Rose Docherty being questioned for standing silently, holding a sign that read, “Coercion is a crime. Here to talk, only if you want.” Police informed Docherty that this constituted a violation of the “safe access zone” surrounding a facility that provides abortions — in this case, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland.

In the footage, a police officer could be heard explaining various possible offenses against the buffer zone law. “Examples of what would be classed as breaching the Act, you know, approaching someone, trying to persuade them not to access abortion services, surrounding people as they go in or out of the clinic or the hospital, handing out leaflets, religious preaching, silent vigil,” he said. “So, standing here saying nothing, you know, it’s a silent vigil.”

Docherty responded that she was trying to point out the corruption in the law. “If anyone wants to come and speak to me, they can, so I’m not doing anything else,” she said.

READ: Are pro-life speech and prayer under threat in Europe and the UK?

“Well, you seem to believe you’re not doing anything wrong, but there’s obviously a reason why you’re here and why you’re in this area, and you in particular, I am aware that you have been protesting here against abortion before, so I don’t understand why you’re here in this area again if you’re not protesting the same thing,” the officer said.

Docherty again explained that she was there to be available if anyone wanted to speak to her, solely of their own volition — but police told her she needed to leave.

“I’m not committing an offense if I don’t move away from the area,” she said, to which the officer replied, “I believe you’re committing a silent vigil, so I believe you would be, yes.”

According to LifeSite News, the law’s author, Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay, was pleased with Docherty’s arrest not long after Docherty’s interaction with law enforcement. “The protests that have taken place outside Queen Elizabeth have been utterly shameful and I am grateful to Police Scotland for acting so quickly,” said Mackay. “This kind of intimidation has no place in a modern or progressive Scotland. Everybody deserves to have access to health care without harassment.”

Additionally, Vice President JD Vance’s speech criticizing the stifling of free speech in the UK has struck a nerve. Multiple UK- and Europe-based news outlets have quoted public officials slamming Vance for spreading purported “misinformation” about Scotland’s buffer zone law and its warning to private homeowners located within the buffer zones. However, as Live Action News pointed out, these claims of ‘misinformation’ fall flat.

As the letter sent to Scotland homeowners in the tweet below reads, “In general, the offences apply in public places within the Safe Access Zones. However, activities in a private place (such as a house) within the area between the protected premises and the boundary of a Zone could be an offence if they can be seen or heard within a Zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.” The letter also notes that it is considered an offense to do anything “intentionally… that would… cause alarm or distress” to a person seeking an abortion (emphases added).

To this end, standing silently and alone on a street holding a sign inviting anyone to speak to her of their own volition is now a prosecutable offense in Scotland, which apparently values the freedom to kill one’s preborn child above the freedom of speech, assembly, or even silent prayer that can be “seen.”

In the United Kingdom, of which Scotland is a part, multiple pro-life activists have been arrested for standing silently near abortion facilities (like Livia Tossici-Bolt, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, Adam Smith-Connor, and Father Sean Gough) — with some even arrested for silent prayer. This blatant attack on free speech has been highly criticized, though it seems that this attack on the rights of pro-lifers is only going to continue.