Following the draconian precedents of Canada and the UK, which have passed legislation prohibiting expressing any sort of protest or demonstration around abortion clinics (In Canada, first-time offenses can land you one year in jail), Germany’s Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus has introduced a draft bill that follows suit, creating a massive buffer zone around these murder mills.
According to a press release by the Alliance Defense Fund International, “a new bill plans to introduce vaguely defined censorship zones, banning behavior that could be perceived as “confusing” or “disturbing” within 100 Meters (300 feet) of abortion organizations with fines up to 5,000€. ($6300 USD)
That which could be covered as “disturbing” could include anything from a couple holding a sign letting women know they will adopt their baby, handing out tracts, telling women about a free nearby crisis pregnancy center, wearing a shirt with anti-abortion messaging, or even praying all by their lonesome.
Dr. Felix Böllmann, German lawyer and Director of European Advocacy for ADF International, noted:
“The right to peacefully pray is protected by international and national law. No matter one’s opinion on abortion, everyone suffers when we start to censor the right to speak freely, pray, or engage in consensual conversations. The federal government wants to ban something but doesn’t know what or why. This law doesn’t ban “confusion”, it creates more of it – both for citizens trying to understand the law and police officers who will have to enforce any vague new prohibitions,”
