THE “utterly shameful” 40 days of anti-choice protests taking place outside abortion clinics across Scotland will be the last, a Green MSP has vowed.

US-based religious fundamentalists formed the “40 Days for Life” operation to end reproductive rights  “through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.”

The tactic has been widely criticised as intimidatory, leading to increasing calls for buffer zones around such facilities — as already seen in Northern Ireland  — not only to protect women seeking an abortion, but also the staff who support them.

The campaign branded buffer zones as an example of “the bigotry of elitist leaders” and an attack on freedom, but a legal challenge ended in 2022 when the Supreme Court ruled that buffer zones would not disproportionately interfere with the right to protest.

The decision opened the door for Green MSP Gillian Mackay to propose a Bill to bring the zones to Scotland, winning cross-party support and crucial government backing in the run-up to a Holyrood vote later this year.

Ms Mackay said: “These protests are utterly shameful.

“Nobody should have to face down a sea of graphic placards and banners in order to get to a hospital. 

“It is targeted intimidation and harassment, and it is being done in order to stop people from accessing the healthcare they are entitled to.

“It underlines exactly why buffer zones are so crucial.”

She said she hopes that all MSPs support the Bill and that “we can make this the year that we stop the protests for good.”

“Abortion rights are human rights, and they are non-negotiable,” Ms Mackay said. 

“I don’t want this to be a country where people are afraid to access healthcare.

“I hope 2024 can be the year that changes.”