© screenshotClive Johnston
Clive Johnston's alleged crime was breaching a 'buffer zone' around a hospital which houses a sexual health clinic where abortions are performed - despite the fact it was a Sunday afternoon when there were no scheduled abortions, and he made no reference whatsoever to abortion, nor motherhood, nor babies.
The state maintains he risked "influencing" anyone accessing the clinic in relation to abortion or anyone working there - a crime punishable by fine. He was prosecuted, and this week found guilty for doing so.
At this point, it is worth stating plainly: this is no longer about the cultural debate on abortion ethics. It is about whether the state may decide which ideas are permissible in public space and which must be confined to the private sphere. In footage from the initial confrontation with police now circulating on X, the policeman literally tells Johnston his religious views should be expressed only in a "safe" place like a chaplaincy - not out on the street, where anyone passing by might hear.
Comment: Divide, subdue and conquer. Actions speak louder and longer than words.