Supreme Court unanimously struck down buffer zones which prevent protests and other activities from happening in front of abortion clinics, on the basis of the First Amendment which protects free speech. These buffer zones were set in place by a Massachusetts Act, called the Reproductive Health Care Facilities Act.
The Act was amended in 2007, which made it a crime to “knowingly stand on a ‘public way or sidewalk’ within 35 feet of an entrance or driveway to any ‘reproductive health care facility,’” defined as a place where abortions are performed, excluding hospitals, unless the individual is a “patient, clinic employee, public safety official, [or] persons passing through the zone without stopping.” This “buffer zone” was initially created to prevent conflicts between the opponents and advocates of abortion from taking place in front of abortion clinics.
The petitioners were individuals who stood outside of abortion clinics, trying to convince women who were on their way to enter the abortion clinic from actually receiving one, and also giving them information about other options. The Reproductive Health Care Facilities Act no longer gave them a chance to do so.
"These buffer zones have not only denied pro-life activists their right to speak, but have also denied women the right to hear information about abortion that could be wanted and helpful to them in making a decision that will affect the rest of their lives," said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.
The Court said that such a restriction is unconstitutional, for it “restricts access to ‘public way[s]’ and ‘sidewalk[s],’ places that have traditionally been open for speech activities and that the Court has accordingly labeled ‘traditional public fora.’”
Pro-life activists celebrated this ruling Thursday, including Dana Cody, President and Executive Director of Life of Legal Defense Foundation. She said, “The court is finally seeing through the real motivation behind these buffer zones – it isn’t to protect anyone; it is to silence the truth about abortion – it ends the lives of children and harms women. Roe made abortion legal, not safe.”
Jeff White is the founder of Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, a pro-life non-profit organization which educates youth and encourages them to take a stand against abortion. White also celebrated the Court decision, saying, “This is a great victory for those offering compassionate alternatives to women seeking abortions. Our young people deserve to live in a country where praying and saving lives are not a crime.”
Newman declared,"We know that lives will be saved as a result of this decision."
