This bill singles out one type of protest that is historically far less violent than other forms of picketing and protesting, and says that it must be regulated further than all others in the public interest, he said. Anti-Abortion Protesters Are Singled Out In other states that have passed similar injunctions, said Darling, two sidewalk counselors are allowed within the bounds of the buffer zone. Darling added that while his group is not taking a position on the constitutionality of abortion, he thinks that the bill is about punishing people for disagreeing over an issue as contentious as abortion. Except for pro-life protesters, no other groups have been muzzled and curbed by buffer zones, said Dwight G. Dunne, associate professor of constitutional law at the Southern New England Law School, who also testified. Supporters of the bill insist that it s not intended to restrict speech, but rather to protect public safety.
Research shows that when there is a buffer zone, the level of violence drops dramatically.
And so does the emotional intensity, she said. Hormann thinks that civil discourse must be promoted in the abortion debate. But Darling points out that emotional intensity is accepted in other protest arenas such as labor disputes. While the bill does single out abortion clinics, Hormann said that the Planned Parenthood League wants to make sure there is no confusion about the purpose of the bill. The buffer-zone issue, she said, is not a debate about abortion.