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Abortion poster arrests applauded(U.K.)
BBC | Wednesday, 3 September, 2003
A 30-strong crowd applauded as two anti-abortion protestors were led away from a shopping centre by police, a court has heard.
Joseph Biddulph, 52, and Fiona Pinto, 23, were arrested after refusing to take down their "distressing" poster of an aborted foetus during their campaign to be elected to the Welsh assembly for the ProLife Alliance.
Abergavenny magistrates heard that the 4ft by 2ft colour poster, which showed a dismembered 21-week-old foetus, was displayed to shoppers in Newport city centre on 24 April.
The pair are each facing a charge of a public order offence in connection with the incident.
One of the arresting officers, Pc Raymond Meachell, said a crowd of shoppers had gathered around Ms Pinto and Mr Biddulph outside a branch of Boots.
He told the court: "The group seemed hostile to the persons displaying the poster.
"The general public demanded the poster be taken down and some ladies were in tears and visibly upset.
'Round of applause'
"Having seen the poster, I told Mr Biddulph to take it down as it was causing distress to people in the street."
Mr Meachell took the poster from Mr Biddulph, rolled it up and then arrested the pair to applause from bystanders.
He added: "I can honestly say in 30 years of policing it is the first time I have ever received a round of applause for making an arrest in the street."
Fellow police officer Pc Martin Crackett told the court he saw 20 to 30 people gathered around Ms Pinto and Mr Biddulph and said he saw two women crying.
But defending counsel Stuart Hutton said the pair were only "standing and holding a poster".
He argued that the arrival of police had caused people to "stop and stare" and take an interest in what was taking place.
Mr Hutton added that Ms Pinto cried all the way to the police station following her arrest.
Ms Pinto, an Oxford University graduate and former parliamentary researcher, told magistrates: "I was extremely upset when people clapped. I couldn't understand why they were clapping.
Controversial issue
"I believe in democracy, I don't understand why people would cheer election candidates being arrested.
"I don't understand why people would not want to know about a controversial issue."
She added that she believed the poster was the most effective way of communicating the ProLife party's message.
"I believe that people will understand why we are against abortion if they see the picture," she said.
Ms Pinto said that the poster was intended to target adults but said some children had approached the pair to ask questions.
'Free speech'
"Two 10-year-olds asked us why the baby looked like that," Ms Pinto said.
"They said this is awful and they would never have an abortion."
She denied the poster deliberately exposed children to the image and did not give them a choice over seeing it.
But she admitted seeing one woman shielding her child's eyes from the picture on CCTV footage played to the court.
Prosecutor Heath Edwards said the image had "distressed" passers-by - both children and adults.
"Their behaviour was insulting and caused harassment to members of the public present - the poster was the cause of the insult," he added.
"The Crown recognises the need for free speech but that free speech comes with a responsibility not to insult others."
Mr Biddulph, from Pontypridd, and Ms Pinto, from Hertfordshire, deny that the poster was insulting.
After legal argument, the charges of disorderly behaviour against the pair were dropped.
The case continues.
BBC | Wednesday, 3 September, 2003
A 30-strong crowd applauded as two anti-abortion protestors were led away from a shopping centre by police, a court has heard.
Joseph Biddulph, 52, and Fiona Pinto, 23, were arrested after refusing to take down their "distressing" poster of an aborted foetus during their campaign to be elected to the Welsh assembly for the ProLife Alliance.
Abergavenny magistrates heard that the 4ft by 2ft colour poster, which showed a dismembered 21-week-old foetus, was displayed to shoppers in Newport city centre on 24 April.
The pair are each facing a charge of a public order offence in connection with the incident.
One of the arresting officers, Pc Raymond Meachell, said a crowd of shoppers had gathered around Ms Pinto and Mr Biddulph outside a branch of Boots.
He told the court: "The group seemed hostile to the persons displaying the poster.
"The general public demanded the poster be taken down and some ladies were in tears and visibly upset.
'Round of applause'
"Having seen the poster, I told Mr Biddulph to take it down as it was causing distress to people in the street."
Mr Meachell took the poster from Mr Biddulph, rolled it up and then arrested the pair to applause from bystanders.
He added: "I can honestly say in 30 years of policing it is the first time I have ever received a round of applause for making an arrest in the street."
Fellow police officer Pc Martin Crackett told the court he saw 20 to 30 people gathered around Ms Pinto and Mr Biddulph and said he saw two women crying.
But defending counsel Stuart Hutton said the pair were only "standing and holding a poster".
He argued that the arrival of police had caused people to "stop and stare" and take an interest in what was taking place.
Mr Hutton added that Ms Pinto cried all the way to the police station following her arrest.
Ms Pinto, an Oxford University graduate and former parliamentary researcher, told magistrates: "I was extremely upset when people clapped. I couldn't understand why they were clapping.
Controversial issue
"I believe in democracy, I don't understand why people would cheer election candidates being arrested.
"I don't understand why people would not want to know about a controversial issue."
She added that she believed the poster was the most effective way of communicating the ProLife party's message.
"I believe that people will understand why we are against abortion if they see the picture," she said.
Ms Pinto said that the poster was intended to target adults but said some children had approached the pair to ask questions.
'Free speech'
"Two 10-year-olds asked us why the baby looked like that," Ms Pinto said.
"They said this is awful and they would never have an abortion."
She denied the poster deliberately exposed children to the image and did not give them a choice over seeing it.
But she admitted seeing one woman shielding her child's eyes from the picture on CCTV footage played to the court.
Prosecutor Heath Edwards said the image had "distressed" passers-by - both children and adults.
"Their behaviour was insulting and caused harassment to members of the public present - the poster was the cause of the insult," he added.
"The Crown recognises the need for free speech but that free speech comes with a responsibility not to insult others."
Mr Biddulph, from Pontypridd, and Ms Pinto, from Hertfordshire, deny that the poster was insulting.
After legal argument, the charges of disorderly behaviour against the pair were dropped.
The case continues.
