Pro-choice students clash with anti-abortion protestors

Southampton students arranged a counter-protest to the anti-abortion group '40 days for life' who are currently outside Portsmouth St Mary's hospital harassing and intimidating women outside the hospital.

The 40 days for life anti-abortion group are one of the largest of its kind and hope to stop the right of women to choose to have an abortion.

Photos via Hampshire Pro-choice and Rosie Quirke

Hampshire Pro-choice, the group organising the counter-protest, spoke to the Soton Tab about why these counter-protests are so important.

"We firmly believe in a woman's right to choose, this means a woman can be trusted to make her own decisions about her body and whether she wants to be pregnant"

"We will form human barriers, being available to chaperone those using the hospital for whatever reason and engaging the anti-choicers in conversation so they are unable to interact with the public"

"We believe these counter-protests will help show women there's an opposition to the anti-choice view. Women will always seek abortion and they deserve the right to do so in a safe and legal environment"

Members of the public also came out to show their support

The right to protest must be protected, but harrasing women outside the hospital will only likely cause the woman go come back later. And if an abortion has to happen, the earlier the better.

Councillors in Ealing have recently banned protestors from congregating outside hospitals due to the 'disruption and distress' they cause those going in the hospital. Hampshire pro-choice hope for the same in our area, making it illegal to hold this protest outside clinics.

If you wish to support Hampshire pro-choice or 40 days for life then their pages can be found in the links attached.