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Anti-abortion campaigner Isabel Vaughan-Spruce has thrown her support behind fellow campaigner Livia Tossici-Bolt after she was convicted of two buffer zone breaches.Tossici-Bolt, 64, was accused of breaching the Public Spaces Protection Order on two days in March 2023 after holding a sign outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth.FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
Tell us, if you can, what happened in court today
0:04
So as you've explained, retired Lady Livia Tosichi Bolt was charged with breaching the PSPO
0:11
the Public Space Protection Order buffer zone around Bournemouth abortion facility. She was holding a sign that said, here to talk if you want
0:20
Now, she admits that she did have conversations with people, although to the best of her knowledge
0:24
not with anyone using the abortion facility. She was just simply offering to talk to anyone
0:29
who wanted to talk to her. And it was only when people approached her
0:32
that she would engage in any kind of conversation. But she was charged today with breaching the PSPO
0:40
And as you said, she was given a conditional discharge and also ordered to pay £20,000 for the costs of the prosecution
0:48
So really concerning. And I just found it deeply saddening that a consensual conversation on a public street
0:55
has now been criminalised in a British court. And Isabel, what do you think this is telling us about the wider debate over free speech and free expression
1:03
We'll come to your case in a moment. We know obviously J Vance Donald Trump have been watching these cases very closely I mean what is this There a more profound point playing out here isn there There is and I find it particularly frustrating that now our friends in the US have already tried to help us see
1:20
you know, the problems of continuing down this road of censorship, but the authorities seem resolute on destroying our nation's freedoms
1:28
for the sake of their own ideology. And we're seeing this, whether it's with council officers or police
1:34
or even in the judiciary system, And it's really concerning. Well, we've also got the rise of non-crime hate incidents
1:41
We've got new definitions of Islamophobia, which are clearly designed to shut down debate
1:46
We've got obviously the online safety bill. We've got these growing restrictions on free speech, free expression
1:53
I mean, for you, what do you think this is telling us about the direction of Britain more generally
1:58
Because I find it rather striking that it's our cousins in America who are drawing attention to these cases
2:04
rather than people here in Britain. I mean, what do you think this is really being driven by
2:10
within the establishment? What's behind all of this? It's very hard for me to know what's at the root of it
2:18
Obviously as a Christian I do think there a certain spiritual element to it which I sure some people might disagree with But those people who are prepared to stand firm are really having to face the brunt of you know a two tier police system
2:31
And, you know, whether that's like I say, that's also got into the council and things as well in Bournemouth
2:38
Most people aren't prepared to have their livelihoods, their reputation, their relationships affected in these ways
2:45
And so they're just having to resort to be second class citizens and to be treated in a different way to other people
2:51
simply because maybe they're a Christian or maybe they hold pro-life views, which is still very mainstream views in our society
2:58
People who might be members of Christians or Catholic churches in our society are now feeling that, like I say, that there's some kind of social pariah
3:07
Just tell us a bit, if you can, about your case, because I think viewers are going to be really interested to hear a bit about that
3:14
So it started right back in 2022. I was arrested in an abortion centre
3:20
buffer zone, PSPO, buffer zone in Birmingham, for simply silently praying in my head
3:26
I went to court. I was completely acquitted in court. And yet two or three weeks later
3:30
I was rearrested for exactly the same thing for silently praying And for those who say that wasn the reason the police officer actually told me that my prayers were an offence I reminded him that they were silent prayers in my head you know imperceptible I had no Bible or rosary beads
3:47
I had no leaflets, no posters. I wasn't interacting with anyone. Yet, as I say
3:51
I was rearrested again and had to wait six months before that case was dropped. But even since then
3:57
police were coming out, giving me tickets, telling me I was going to be fined and that I was breaching
4:01
the zone. In the end, I had to make a claim against the police for unlawful arrests for
4:07
false imprisonment and assault. And I was awarded an outer court settlement for £13,000. And I
4:13
finally thought that was the end of it. But still, since then, week after week after week
4:18
the police have been coming out. And more recently, they've been telling me that it isn't my prayers
4:21
that are now the issue, but just who I am, that knowing who I am means that I'm causing someone
4:27
else harassment. Well, that's particularly concerning because harassment isn't just banned in abortion centre buffer zones. Harassment is rightly banned across the UK anywhere
4:37
So if just knowing who I am is causing people harassment, then there's simply nowhere left
4:42
for me to go in public. Am I to stay at home? And then is that harassment for people I live with
4:47
That's how ludicrous it's becoming
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