THE first ever arrest made under Scottish laws banning protests outside abortion services is linked to “toxic misinformation” spread by US vice president JD Vance, the Greens have said.
It comes after a 74-year-old woman was arrested by Police Scotland on Wednesday in connection with a breach of the exclusion zone outside Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024 made it an offence to protest inside a safe access zone in a way that “might stop a person from getting an abortion or make them feel scared or upset about getting an abortion”, according to the official Scottish Parliament overview of the legislation.
US vice president Vance wrongly claimed last week that “even private prayer within a person’s] own home may amount to breaking the law”, further claiming that the Government had urged people to report “any fellow citizens suspected guilty of thought crime”.
The misrepresentation of Scottish laws sparked outrage, leading Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay – who spearheaded the legislation – to accuse Vance of having a “misogynistic and anti-choice agenda”.
After the first arrest under the law, Mackay said it was linked to Vance’s comments.
“The protests that have taken place outside Queen Elizabeth have been utterly shameful and I am grateful to Police Scotland for acting so quickly,” the MSP said.
“This kind of intimidation has no place in a modern or progressive Scotland. Everybody deserves to have access to healthcare without harassment. That is why I introduced my act, and why these disgraceful protests are now illegal.”
She added: “It’s no coincidence that this has happened so soon after JD Vance and his supporters have spread toxic misinformation about Scotland, it is vital that we stand up for reproductive rights and against those who are working to undermine them.”
