On June 19, three pro-lifers were arrested outside of the “Everywoman’s Health Clinic” abortion site in East Vancouver. They were released the following day, with a court hearing scheduled for July 3.
Police arrest Sissy von Dehn and David Spratt near the Everywoman's abortuary in Vancouver.
David Spratt and Sissy von Dehn were arrested while protesting the bubble zone legislation, the B.C. Access to Abortion Services Act, which prevents pro-life counseling or protesting within 50 metres of an abortion site. They were both charged with one count of protesting in an abortion access zone. John Hetherington, a filmmaker, was also arrested, but released shortly thereafter without being charged.
Spratt’s appeal against the bubble zone to the Supreme Court was dismissed last month, while von Dehn has been informing passers-by of the injustice of the violation of free speech rights for nearly a year.
Von Dehn said, “Police assured me on two occasions that carrying these same bubble zone notice signs was within our rights and in no way infringed on the bubble zone legislation. It was quite a shock to be hauled off to jail for notifying passers-by of a B.C. law.”
Campaign Life Coalition B.C. president John Hof said that for weeks, a group of people have been informing the public about the bubble zone legislation without incident. “It is alarming that police would arrest someone who was simply stating what the law is,” said Hof.
