The behaviour of anti-abortion protesters has been described as 'escalating' after they held a demonstration outside of a sexual health clinic providing support for rape and abuse victims.
Patients were left distressed and 'in tears' as the protestors shouted through a microphone and held signs comparing abortion to murder outside the Sandyford Clinic on Wednesday afternoon.
The clinic offers a wide range of reproductive and sexual health services including rape crisis support and counselling.
Staff said they were unable to hold consultations at the front of the building due to the disruption with some driven to move their cars outside the clinic and blast music in an attempt to drown out the protestors.
The behaviour has been widely condemned with many urging Nicola Sturgeon and Minister for Women's Health, Maree Todd, to take action.
A campaign is currently underway across Scotland to introduce 150-meter buffer zones outside hospital grounds to restrict the proximity of the anti-abortion protests.
In recent months, hundreds of demonstrators have lined the street outside a maternity unit at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth Hospital targeting women who are accessing abortion services.
Back Off Scotland, founded by two students, has been leading calls for changes over the protests which have been described as 'emotional harassment' and causing further trauma to those seeking medical treatment.
Co-founder Lucy Grieve described the scenes outside the clinic as 'appalling'.
She added: "We are appalled and devastated to see the scenes outside Sandyford Clinic in Glasgow today. Sandyford delivers a large range of reproductive and sexual health services including rape crisis support and counselling.
"We’ve been told by staff inside the clinic that patients are distressed and they are unable to consult on that side of the building because the shouting is so loud. Clinicians have had to stop what they are doing to move their cars outside the clinic, open car windows and blast music in an attempt to drown the shouting out.
"Nicola Sturgeon and Maree Todd MUST come in front of parliament this week and lay out their intentions to enact emergency legislatIon to tackle the issue in the short term. This can go on no longer.”
British Pregnancy Advisory Service chief of staff Rachael Clarke said the protest represents an 'escalation'.
She said: "There have not been protestors outside the Sandyford in Glasgow - which also delivers rape crisis - for years. This isn't a protest as usual, this is a clear escalation.
"Urgent questions need to be asked of Maree Todd MSP."
Comedian Janey Godley tweeted: "Lots of men arguing loudly about the gates of hell as women try to get rape counselling at the Sandyford Clinic in Glasgow."
Former Glasgow councillor Mhairi Hunter said: "There was always a dread of these anti-abortion folk starting to demonstrate outside Sandyford and it seems they have now.
"People go to Sandyford for all kinds of reasons and some can be very vulnerable. This is completely wrong."
Author Susan Dalgety added: "Buffer zones required now."
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "We can confirm protestors were present this afternoon which caused some unnecessary disruption to services delivered at one of our health care sites.
"While we recognise the public’s right to protest, as a healthcare provider we believe all our patients should be free to attend for treatment and our staff should be able to deliver care, without fear or intimidation."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 1.55pm on Wednesday, 11 May, 2022, officers attended following reports of a protest on Sandyford Place in Glasgow. Some of the group has dispersed and officers remain at the scene.
“Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation that puts our values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights at the heart of everything we do.
“We have a duty under the European Convention on Human Rights to protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest or counter-protest balanced against the rights of the wider community.”
