In Glasgow, Scotland, police arrested Rose Docherty, a 75-year-old grandmother and pro-life activist, after she stood outside a hospital holding a sign that read: “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.” Her gesture, aimed at offering to talk with women who might be considering abortion, allegedly violated Scotland’s “safe access zone” legislation.
The Safe Access Zones Act, which came into effect in September 2024, bans behaviors within 200 meters of abortion clinics that attempt to influence or dissuade patients. It prohibits approaching individuals to persuade them not to access abortion services, distributing leaflets, preaching religious content, or even holding silent vigils near clinic entrances. Under the law, offenders may face fines up to £10,000 (and in severe cases, unlimited fines) if they “impede access or otherwise cause alarm, harassment, or distress.”
Docherty has faced similar arrests in the past. In February of this year, she was detained outside another abortion clinic for holding the same sign—a sign she maintains does not contravene the law, as it only offers a conversation and does not force interaction. Following that earlier arrest, prosecutors dropped the charges.
Commenting on the recent arrest, Docherty said she had acted peacefully and with compassion, inviting voluntary conversation rather than coercion. “I held my sign with love and compassion … inviting anyone who wants to chat, to do so,” she said, adding that she “should not be treated as a criminal for inviting people to chat.” She also noted that despite telling police she had undergone a double hip replacement, she was held for several hours without even a chair.
The arrest drew international attention. The U.S. State Department publicly condemned the move, calling it “an egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech” and warning that when elderly women are arrested for peacefully offering dialogue, “common sense and basic civility are under attack.”
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