Screenshot taken from video on the ADF UK Twitter page
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Real-life dystopia: Police arrest woman AGAIN after she silently prayed near abortion facility in UK
March 07, 2023
A woman has been arrested again in the U.K. after praying silently near an abortion facility in Birmingham, according to Alliance Defending Freedom UK.
Police recently asked Isabel Vaughan-Spruce to move so that she would be outside of an "exclusion zone." When Vaughan-Spruce pushed back, contending that she was not engaging in prohibited activity, the officer then proceeded to tell her, "[Y]ou've said you're engaging in prayer, which is the offense."
\u201c\ud83d\udea8BREAKING: Isabel has been arrested, AGAIN, for THINKING.\n\nMPs vote TOMORROW on banning silent prayer near all abortion facilities in\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f&\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc7f\n\n"You've said you're engaging in prayer, which is the offense."\n"Silent prayer."\n"You were still engaging in prayer, which is the offense."\u201d— ADF UK (@ADF UK) 1678129713
Last year, Vaughan-Spruce was arrested outside of the facility after telling an officer, who had asked if she was praying, that she "might" have been praying in her mind. The officer asked her if she would voluntarily go to the police station for questioning. Vaughan-Spruce said if she had a choice, she would not go along. At that point, she was arrested.
She was charged with "protesting and engaging in an act that is intimidating to service users," according to ADF UK, which said that the facility had been closed when she was there and that she was ultimately acquitted.
Woman Arrested for Silently Prayingwww.youtube.com
The arrests pertain to a Public Space Protection Order, which prohibits various activities in a "restricted area," including, "Protesting, namely engaging in any act of approval or disapproval or attempted act of approval or disapproval, with respect to issues related to abortion services, by any means. This includes but is not limited to graphic, verbal or written means, prayer or counselling," the order states.
Vaughan-Spruce noted during an interview on GB News that she "would naturally assume" that since she had been acquitted, she would be able to pray outside of the abortion facility. She said that she has been offering women help outside of abortion centers for two decades and that many women have taken and been thankful for the help.
\u201c'I was silently praying inside my head and six officers came and told me I was engaging in prayer - which was an offence.'\n\nIsabel Vaughan-Spruce tells Jacob Rees-Mogg about her experience of getting arrested after praying outside an abortion clinic.\u201d— GB News (@GB News) 1678222203
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Alex Nitzberg is a staff writer for Blaze News.
alexnitzberg
Alex Nitzberg
Alex Nitzberg is a staff writer for Blaze News. He is an accomplished composer and guitar player and host of the podcast “The Alex Nitzberg Show.”
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