BUFFER zone campaigners have warned that US vice-president JD Vance is "completely misrepresenting the facts" around the recent introduction of buffer zones at Scottish abortion clinics.
Back Off Scotland, who were crucial to getting the policy brought in, made the post after Vance used a speech in Munich to argue Europe was seeing a shift away from democratic values. He claimed the “basic liberties of religious Britons, in particular” are under threat, citing the Scottish Government law as an example.
The buffer zone legislation passed the Scottish Parliament in a historic moment last year, and sees anti-abortion protests within 200 metres of abortion service providers banned.
The law does not prohibit anyone from praying within their own homes, as Vance claimed. This false claim has been repeatedly posted by some social media accounts across Twitter/X in recent months.
The group posted a thread online debunking the vice-president's claim, telling followers they did "not anticipate our hard-won buffer zone law would be misrepresented in this way".
Branding Vance as "a man that has previously said that he wants a national abortion ban in the US", Back Off Scotland shared the origins of the conspiracy theory
How did JD Vance's claim about Scots praying in their homes start?
The rumour was started in October 2024 by ADF (Alliance Defending Freedom) UK, an organisation which is a Southern Poverty Law Centre designated hate group.
The Scottish Government did send letters to the residents within the buffer zones but, Back Off Scotland wrote: "It has been mischaracterised and used maliciously".
The ADF questioned in October, on Twitter/X: "Could having a conversation about abortion in your OWN HOME while the windows are open be a criminal offence in Scotland?".
The group highlighted a part of a letter sent by the Scottish Government which stated: "In general, the offences apply in public places with the Safe Access Zones. However, activists 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 the zone and are done intentionally or recklessly."
Back Off Scotland called the ADF post "scaremongering", writing: "You won't be arrested just for praying in your home. You might be if you use your house or garden to harass women outside about abortion [clinics]."
This is scaremongering. You won't be arrested just for praying in your home. You might be if you use your house or garden to harass women outside about abortion. Please watch @rachaelfrclarke clarify this as part of her oral evidence to the @ScotParl Health Committee in Feb 👇 https://t.co/42NnrQ19Kv pic.twitter.com/gkgTuxepwM
— Back Off Scotland (@backoffscotland) October 10, 2024
The group then shared a clip of activist Rachael Clarke, who gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament Health Committee.
Clarke said: "There needed to be some provision for private dwellings and other buildings within buffer zones. The reason for that is that absolutely none of us, I think I can speak for everyone, believe that if you are having a private conversation in your own house, that that should be covered.
"None of us believe that that should be stopped."
She added: "However, you can use a private dwelling or another private building in order to have exactly the same affect, as if those people were stood on a public highway.
"Our particular concern was around the posting of very large posters in the window, with very distressing images. It was around people stood in gardens, handing leaflets out over a garden wall, where essentially women were having to walk past them.
"So for us, where we landed in the law in England was that it doesn't cover private conversations within a house or between houses, but it does cover anything aimed at women who are in the public space and for us that really balanced the rights to ensure that people could do what they want in their home but they can't inflict it on women in the buffer zone."
