Research into protests and vigils that take place outside clinics and hospitals offering abortion care

Chapter three: Observations of protests/vigils

3.1. Introduction

To improve understanding of the nature and scale of vigils and protests that are taking place outside clinics and hospitals that provide abortion healthcare in Scotland, observations were undertaken. This chapter provides the results of the observations which were undertaken from February 2023 through to March 2024.

3.2. Methodology

An observation framework was developed by Rocket Science, which was then reviewed and agreed with the Scottish Government. The framework enabled consistent data collection during observations and included observable data such as where and when the activity was taking place and its nature, including the number of people present and the use of visual materials.

On the observation dates, a Rocket Science researcher attended the locations where protests and vigils were known to take place, outlined in Table 2 below. At the start of the observation period (February to June 2023), the researchers observed without interacting with vigil attendees or protesters. At a Research Advisory Group meeting (June 2023), it was agreed that the researchers should approach people who were taking part in protests and/or vigils due to there being challenges with participant recruitment for the interviews. At this stage, it was agreed that the observations could provide opportunities for public intercept interviews^[4], and/or could be used as part of participant recruitment. The results below will cover this in more detail. However, this was unsuccessful as several vigil attendees refused to speak to the researchers and warned others in attendance not to do so due to a prevailing belief that, despite being carried out independently, the research would not be balanced. Several protest/vigil attendees also stated unwillingness to participate in the research due to an awareness that Gillian Mackay MSP was consulting on safe access zones legislation and that the Scottish Government was supporting that legislation. Therefore, the observations were relatively passive and featured limited engagement with protesters or vigil attendees.

During each of the observations, the researchers made detailed notes, using the observation framework. The observation notes were then uploaded into a Microsoft Excel file, compared and analysed.

A total of 35 observations were conducted, on the following dates, at the locations outlined in Table 2 below. Of the 35 observations conducted, 16 of these had people in attendance.

On each of the dates listed above, the researchers visited the sites on several occasions. The purpose of returning several times on the same date was to examine whether the nature and scale of activities altered at different times of the

day, how long activities tend to last, and whether the demographics of attendee’s change. Data from 24 March 2024 at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, has been listed as two entries. It was promoted widely as a Palm Sunday Prayer Vigil, which attracted approximately 100 people on the evening. A separate, smaller vigil took place that morning.

3.3. Results

Scale, size and demographics

The number of people present, engaged in vigils or protests during the observations ranged from two to ten, other than on Palm Sunday (24 March 2024) when there were approximately 100 people in attendance in the evening for a candlelight vigil. The researchers observed that there was a relatively even gender split between males and females. Most appeared to be aged approximately between 50 and 70 years of age, or older.

At the Palm Sunday Prayer Vigil, the researcher noted that people appeared to be mostly people aged 50s to 70s or older, with a smaller number of people aged in their 30s and 40s.

Most protests/vigils tended to last for one to two hours, often late morning or over lunchtime. Often people joined the protest/vigil for part of this time.

Setting and environment

During the observations, the researchers noted that the vigils tended to occur on busy streets, next to the entrances to the general hospitals. In some of the locations, these were particularly busy streets with heavy footfall, which included NHS staff, patients, the general public and tourists. In some of the sites, the vigils were also visible to those using the hospital cafes.

Activities

Protests can take a multitude of forms, but typically encompass the actions, communication materials (audio and visual), and physical presence of protestors (Ottley, 2023). Some suggest that vigils are distinct activities that differ from protests, and much of this argument is based on the premise that vigils include actions which are believed to be more passive, such as silent prayer and witnessing, the praying of rosaries, and the display of religious iconography (Lowe and Hayes, 2018).

The activities observed at each of the locations appeared to be consistent with the concept of an abortion vigil, rather than a protest, although we acknowledge that neither of these terms are neutral, nor are they without connotation or meaning.

During the observations conducted for this research, activities were mostly quiet. On some occasions, vigil attendees approached passers-by and spoke to them. It appeared as though they were asking questions of passers-by. No leaflets appeared to be being handed out.

During several observations, those present were holding placards, some of which had the 40 Days for Life^[5] logo. There were also posters and signs that did not feature any affiliation with particular organisations. Slogans/text and wording included the following:

• Children are our future
• Pregnant? Worried? We can help
• You are loved
• Don’t be coerced into abortion
• Body autonomy
• Pregnant? Worried? Come and talk to us we can help you
• Hurt by abortion? Talk to us about healing (40 Days for Life poster)
• Prayer vigil (40 Days for Life poster)
• In 2022 abortion was the leading cause of death by violence, with 4.4 million killed.

At the 24 March 2024 vigil (Palm Sunday) approximately 100 attendees were standing in silent prayer, holding small candle lanterns, from around 6.30 to 8.30pm. A table was set up, supporting two large placards – one with a 40 Days for Life sign and one saying: ‘Pregnant? We can help you’. The researcher noted that the vigil was prominent and noticeable, especially at night, and priests and nuns were in attendance, along with approximately 15 to 20 people organised the event, wearing high visibility vests.

During several observations, the researcher noted that the positioning of the vigil attendees and the number of placards and signs made the display appear potentially intimidating. One observation also featured a large image of the Lady of Guadalupe. According to Lowe and Page (2019) this image has particular significance to members of the Catholic faith who may have been passing by or attending the hospital for abortion healthcare^[6]. In some of the observations, the researcher observed that vigil attendees were particularly close to the door of the clinic and reflected that it would have been challenging to access the clinic without having to pass by. In several observations, attendees were standing in a straight line, holding placards, and they turned their signs/placards as cars drove by so that they would be more visible to those passing in cars. In one observation, hospital staff walked by and looked visibly frustrated by the presence of the vigil.

Observable impact

Responses to the vigils tended to vary. Some people walked straight past without looking at the placards being held. Others slowed down and appeared to read the placards. Some, particularly NHS staff, appeared frustrated and/or angry when reading the placards and witnessing the vigils. On one occasion, a young woman walked past with a pram and was approached by a vigil attendee. It appeared to the researcher that an argument had ensued between the young woman and the vigil attendee. The woman walked away a few steps at one stage but was shouting at the vigil attendee. The vigil attendee followed her, put her arm out to the woman as if in a gentle manner and offered a card. The woman refused the card and left, still visibly annoyed. On several occasions, people who passed by in cars sounded horns, but it is unclear whether this conveyed agreement with, or a negative response to, the vigils.

The research team reflected that the long line of vigil attendees could feel intimidating for people to walk past, despite the fact that there was not much noise. The placards being held made them appear larger, and this may have been challenging for patients to walk past, particularly if they were affected by some of the issues within the placards, whether seeking abortion or general healthcare.

When NHS staff members walked past, some conveyed frustration or anger by shaking their heads. When this occurred, the vigil attendees did not engage, but rather, looked down and did not speak unless spoken to. The researchers noted that the power dynamics were not clearly evident. On several occasions, however, the researchers reflected that there was an uneasy atmosphere, particularly because the vigil attendees were quiet, sometimes silent, and were slowly turning their placards, following and matching the speed of passersby.

On some of the observation dates, the researchers noted that although the vigil attendees did not tend to approach people, they appeared to have a strong presence because of where they had positioned themselves. On these occasions, where there was heavy footfall, the vigil attendees were praying out loud.

Response to researcher presence

During the observation dates, the researchers approached vigil attendees to outline the research and to ask whether anyone would be willing to participate in the research. Vigil attendees stated that they were aware of the research but had been told not to take part because it had been commissioned by the Scottish Government. During all interactions, the researchers explained that the aim of the research was to present a balanced view, and to represent the perspectives of those taking part in vigils.

3.4. Discussion

The findings presented in this section suggest that at the assessed sites, the activities observed appear to be consistent with the concept of a ‘vigil’ insofar as they featured both audible and silent prayer, the holding of placards and silent presence. There were, however, examples of situations whereby those participating in the vigils turned their placards towards passersby, seeking to be seen, and this form of activity may align somewhat with the concept of a protest in that the aim appeared to be to communicate views on abortion.

Those participating in the vigil were offered the opportunity to speak with researchers to discuss their aims and motivations, but on all occasions, participants declined this offer. With this in mind, it is not possible to conclusively state the aims or motivations of those taking part. It appeared that the vigil had some impact on passersby, some of whom appeared frustrated, and others angered. Similarly, NHS staff were also observed to be walking by, and several also appeared frustrated. Some members of the public, patients and staff, however, appeared to walk by without looking at the vigil. These findings are consistent with the broader literature, which notes that although vigil attendees are often motivated by a desire to offer support and/or prayer, their presence can cause a combination of distress, frustration and anger in passersby.