Police in Scotland have made the first arrest of a protester for allegedly breaching an exclusion zone around an abortion clinic in Glasgow. The 74-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday 19 February 2025 after anti-abortion campaigners gathered near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
The arrest comes days after US Vice-President JD Vance made inaccurate claims about Scotland's safe access zone laws. Vance alleged that residents within the zones were banned from private prayer in their own homes, a claim rejected by First Minister John Swinney as 'just wrong'.
The Texas-based group 40 Days for Life has announced plans for daily protests outside the clinic from 5 March to 13 April, in defiance of the ban. Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay, who championed the legislation, said protesters had been 'emboldened' by Vance's misinformation.
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) 2024 Act prohibits protests within 200 metres of clinics providing abortion services. Police Scotland confirmed the woman was charged and will be reported to prosecutors.
First Minister Swinney reiterated that abortion care remains a central part of Scotland's health provision, and the buffer zone legislation aims to protect women accessing services from pressure.
