ABORTION Rights Scotland will be returning for their tenth year to celebrate the anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act becoming law.
This year’s assembly will take place on April 23 from 11am at Lothian Road by Usher Hall.
Although abortion was never criminalised in Scotland prior to 1967, the Act made abortion more accessible. However, it also made abortion criminal except under specific circumstances defined by the legislation.
Therefore, Abortion Rights Scotland call for the full decriminalisation of abortion, arguing that Scotland should become the first part of the UK where abortion is regulated “like any other form of reproductive healthcare”.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon condemns anti-abortion protestors at FMQs
Anti-choice protesters are also expected to appear, and this year due to the Van Gogh exhibition on Festival Square protestors are expected to be in close proximity with those celebrating the Act.
Jane Carnall of Abortion Rights Scotland said: "We say that everyone who can get pregnant has the right to be able to decide to have an abortion if they need one.”
In reponse to the expected presence of anti-choice protestors, Carnall said: "The Edinburgh Abortion Rights Group stands with our supporters to affirm the basic human right of abortion, and the presence of these fanatics to protest that right, shows we should never take for granted our right to access healthcare when we need it."
Recently, there has been a worrying uptick in anti-abortion protests around Scotland taking place outside of abortion clinics. These have been widely condemned as “deplorable” and “harassment” by many health experts and women’s advocacy groups.
READ MORE: Doctors urge Maree Todd to bring in buffer zones
On Thursday April 21, Nicola Sturgeon condemned anti-choice protestors demonstrating outside of clinics. In a message to them, she said: “By all means protest, you have a democratic right to do that. But come and protest at Parliament. Do not intimidate women seeking access to abortion at hospitals.”
Campaign group Back Off Scotland are calling for emergency legislation to be put in place by the Scottish Government, to introduce 100m buffer zones outside of abortion clinics to prevent those accessing healthcare from intimidation and harrassment.
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