Press Notification: Mothers who were supported by vigils outside of abortion clinics to gather in support of Appellant in landmark Court of Appeal case

Press Notification: Mothers who were supported by vigils outside of abortion clinics to gather in support of Appellant in landmark Court of Appeal case

 In Be Here For Me
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Brief details: A group of mothers who were helped by vigil members outside abortion clinics will hold a rally outside the Court of Appeal on Tuesday. They are gathering in support of Alina Dulgheriu, an Appellent in a landmark case challenging Ealing Council’s “censorship zone” which criminalises prayer and support outside the abortion clinic on Mattock Lane. It is the first Public Spaces Protection Order in the UK that criminalises offers of support to women, as well as criminalising prayer in a public place.

Date and time: 11:30AM, Tuesday 16 July 2019

Place: Royal Courts of Justice (Main Entrance), Strand, London WC2A 2LL

Schedule:

  • The rally will include short speeches from attendees on why they are supporting Alina’s challenge. There will also be a photo opportunity with the mothers and their children, who will be holding placards in support of Alina and the legal challenge.

Background notes for journalists:

  • Ealing Council brought in a broadly-worded Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in April of 2018 which criminalised, among other activities:
    • Any act whatsoever of approval or disapproval regarding abortion
    • Prayer about abortion 
    • Handing out leaflets offering of practical support to women
  • Alina Dulgheriu, a mother who was supported by a pro-life vigil outside of a London abortion clinic, filed a High Court challenge against Ealing on 27 April 2018. 
  • On 2 July 2018, the High Court handed down judgment in the case, accepting that Alina’s rights to freedom of expression, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly had been infringed, but ultimately upheld Ealing’s PSPO.
  • Alina subsequently launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund an appeal, which successfully raised over £50,000 in under 3 months.
  • On 19 December 2018, the Court of Appeal granted Alina permission to appeal the High Court’s decision.
  • On 23 May 2019, Richmond Council was taken to the High Court over a similarly worded PSPO

ENDS

  • To find out more about the Be Here For Me campaign visit www.behereforme.org 
  • Spokespeople from the campaign will be available to speak to the media shortly after the 11:30AM rally.
  • The Be Here For Me campaign launch video is available here (https://youtu.be/03xLOhUSr2o) to use for embedding and is available for re-use in media articles. Please contact us for access to original files.
  • Additional testimonies from women who have been helped outside abortion clinics are available here: https://behereforme.org/#stories
  • To arrange a media interview with one of the campaign’s spokespeople, please contact [email protected] or phone 07427018218.