Furious clashes between angry anti-abortion and pro-choice activists

Police have been forced to intervene during angry clashes between anti-abortion and pro-choice activists outside NSW parliament.

Tensions ran high between the groups outside NSW parliament in Sydney, hours before MPs begin debating a controversial bill that will decriminalise abortion across the state.

The private member’s bill being debated in the lower house on Tuesday afternoon allows for terminations up to 22 weeks and for later abortions if two doctors ‘consider that, in all the circumstances, the termination should be performed’.

Police spent the morning keeping a watchful eye on protests outside parliament in Macquarie Street, where dozens of anti-abortion activists were sandwiched between hundreds of supporters of the bill.

Anti-abortion and pro-choice activists clashed outside NSW parliament in Sydney on Tuesday

Police were forced to separate and caution some protesters with reports of physical altercations between the two groups, ABC reported.

A NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia police were unaware of reports of any ‘significant’ incidents with no arrests recorded so far.

Labor’s families spokeswoman Penny Sharpe was among the MPs who addressed the large pro-choice crowd, who held up signs stating ‘mind your own uterus’ and ‘trust women’.

‘Women in NSW are not criminals for making decisions about their own bodies,’ Ms Sharpe said.

She also paid tribute those who’ve shared stories about abortions including via the #arrestus online campaign.

Tensions ran high between the two groups of vocal protesters, forcing police to step in

Tensions ran high between the two groups of vocal protesters, forcing police to step in

Police spent the morning keeping a watchful eye on both groups of protesters from  both sides

Police spent the morning keeping a watchful eye on both groups of protesters from  both sides

Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi also addressed pro-choice supporters. 

‘We must move quickly to make sure access to abortions is not a racial, geographic or class lottery. We must have free, safe legal, abortion,’ she addressed the group.

The Senator later tweeted: ‘Let’s get this bill passed and prove that human rights aren’t matters of political expediency, but that when communities campaign for justice, politicians have no option but to listen!’

Sydney’s Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and Anglican Archbishop Glenn Davis wrote an open letter on Monday declaring NSW was ‘on the edge of a precipice’.

‘(The bill) not only allows for abortion up until 22 weeks for any reason … it also allows for abortion for any reason even up until birth provided that two doctors agree,’ they wrote.

In contrast, Uniting Church moderator the Rev Simon Hansford on the weekend backed independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich’s abortion bill.

Pro-life protesters also made their presence felt outside NSW parliament on Tuesday

Pro-life protesters also made their presence felt outside NSW parliament on Tuesday

‘When abortion is practised indiscriminately it damages respect for human life,’ he wrote in an open letter to parliamentarians.

‘However, we live in a broken world where people face difficult decisions. Respect for the sacredness of life means advocating for the needs of women as well as every unborn child.’

Mr Hansford said the church should offer care and support ‘not stand in judgement’.

Dozens of slogans were written on signs and hands at the protest held in Sydney

Dozens of slogans were written on signs and hands at the protest held in Sydney

‘Most women who have abortions do so only after a great deal of searching and anguish,’ he said.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian is supporting the draft legislation, along with health minister Brad Hazzard.

But the proposed bill has split the Coalition with a number of MPs opposing it, including Police Minister David Elliott, treasurer Dominic Perrottet and former NSW minister for women Tanya Davies.

The protest was held just hours before state MPs were due to debate the bill in parliament

The protest was held just hours before state MPs were due to debate the bill in parliament

Ms Davies said it was ‘beyond belief’ the proposed bill does not mention the terms ‘woman’ or ‘female’ once and had effectively ‘silenced women’.

‘It’s clear the gender fluidity ideology has rammed its way into this bill,’ the western Sydney MP told The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday night.

‘Clearly the authors … want to impose on the people of NSW the politically correct and absurd view that men can get pregnant and have abortions too.’ 

There were reports of heated exchanges between anti-abortion and pro-choice activists

There were reports of heated exchanges between anti-abortion and pro-choice activists

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk