Abortion protest graphic image ban approved, as Alliance claim street preachers 'will flout new volume laws' so tougher penalties needed
A ban on “graphic imagery” at anti-abortion protests in the heart of Belfast was today approved by the city’s council.
The move came as Alliance claimed street preachers have vowed to “openly flout” new laws restricting their speaker volumes, so tougher penalties may be needed to tackle them.
At a meeting this afternoon, Belfast Council gave initial approval to new limits that will fine preachers and buskers if their amplifiers go above 70 decibels on city centre streets, and also ban the display of “graphic imagery” in anti-abortion protests.
The bye-laws will now be sent to Stormont’s Department for Communities to be signed off, after which they’ll be checked by lawyers before coming back to the council for final approval.
The exact amount someone could be penalised for going over 70db wasn’t precisely spelled out in council documents debated today, which state it will be a ‘level two’ fine. During previous debates on the issue, however, a fixed penalty of up to £500 has been suggested.
New bye-laws define graphic imagery as “pictures, illustrations, images or any other visual representations of aborted and/or miscarried remains of human embryos, foetuses or babies”.
The changes would make it an offence to have that imagery on everything from poster and banners to clothing such as T-shirts. Anyone who does display it will be fined up to £500.
During this afternoon’s meeting, a council official said the bye-laws do raise freedom of expression issues, but stated the anti-abortion protest restrictions are coming about to protect people who have lost pregnancies and find the images “upsetting and triggering”.
They’re also being brought in after a consultation saw people complain about their children seeing graphic imagery at pro-life street protests, as well as that people are confronted by the pictures in central parts of the city without having a choice of whether or not to see them.
The official clarified that under the bye-laws, graphic imagery can still be distributed in leaflets – as long as they’re smaller than A4 size and sealed in envelopes bearing clear warnings about the pictures inside.
Alliance councillor Jenna Maghie told today’s meeting she’d wanted the bye-laws to go further, but said she’d accept “incremental gains” on the issues.
Noise restrictions need to go further, she said, “not least as street preachers have told me that they will openly flout them.”
She wanted the noise bye-laws reviewed one year after they’re introduced, to check if they’re working or need to be toughened, and pictures created using A.I. specifically included in the graphic imagery ban.
The DUP stood against the altered bye-laws, with councillor Sarah Bunting saying it’s “awful we can’t name these angels babies” in the legislation.
Sinn Fein councillor Christina Black stated that while she appreciated the issue is contentious, she “is of the viewpoint that if you need really disturbing, graphic imagery to make your point known, you’re not making your point very well.”
The council agreed to bring back a report on Ms Maghie’s suggestions when the bye-laws come back for final approval, and agreed to send them to Stormont to be signed off by 14 votes in favour to four against.