Pastor facing court over breach of abortion protest buffer zones says he is 'overwhelmed' by support from around the world

Retired pastor Clive Johston, 76, from Strabane has been charged after preaching in the abortion buffer zone around Causeway Hospital in Coleraine on Sunday, July 7 last year.

UK buffer zones made international headlines last weekend when US vice-president JD Vance singled them out for criticism in a speech to the Munich Security Conference.

He caused outrage by claiming that the UK and EU face a greater “threat from within” due to censorship than the danger posed by Russia and China.

Since then it was revealed that retired pastor Johnston, a former president of the Irish Baptist Union, has been charged with breaching the buffer zone in Coleraine.

Eight zones of 100-250m were put in place around NI abortion clinics in 2023, to protect patients and staff from harassment by protestors.

It is now a criminal offence for people to be "impeded, recorded, influenced or to be caused harassment, alarm or distress" within the areas, punishable by a fine of up to £500.

Pastor Johnston said the support he has received since his charges were reported this week has been "overwhelming".

“I have had immense support from across the grassroots evangelical community but also from the Catholic community today,” he said.

"To be honest, it's been such an encouragement. I have had people contacting me to offer their support from England, America, Spain, Romania and Croatia.

"And the Christian Institute has confirmed they are taking on the case, so we're absolutely delighted."

"The deputy leader of Aontú, Gemma Brolly, has also contacted me to offer her support."

The pastor believes the introduction of UK buffer zones reflects a broader trend of restrictions on freedom of religion, citing what he said were rising cases of people losing their jobs for expressing Christian convictions and the arrests of street preachers.

On the date in question he says that he preached a brief sermon to a small gathering of supporters in the buffer zone.

Although formally retired he still preaches in his last church, the Bridge Christian Fellowship in Strabane, which he says has over 100 members from a cross community background.

A spokeswoman for the PPS said: "Following careful consideration of all the available evidence in a police investigation file, a decision to prosecute an individual for one count of allegedly doing an act in a safe access zone contrary to the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023 and one count of failing to comply with a direction under the same Act issued on 13th February 2024. The case is listed on our system for 14th March 2025 in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court."

All Stormont parties but the DUP and TUV backed the new buffer zones in 2022, but the new law was challenged by the Attorney General For NI.

However the Supreme Court ruled that the law did not "disproportionately interfere" with protesters' human rights and was justified to ensure women could access abortions "under conditions which respect their privacy and dignity, and are not driven instead to less safe alternatives".

In late 2023 the PSNI told the BBC that more buffer zone breaches were reported in Coleraine than any other area of NI - 20 out of the total of 50 at that time.

Commenting, Lauren McAuley of pro-choice group North Coast for Choice, condemned posters, placards and white crosses being used by some pro-life protestors at the Causeway Hospital.

The buffer zones were spearheaded by the Green Party in 2022.

Belfast Greens Councillor Áine Groogan said today that they are now “an important safeguard” for women who “no longer have to run the gauntlet of protestors to access reproductive healthcare”.