A 77-year-old retired pastor will be tried in court for the second day on Wednesday after preaching a sermon near a hospital in Northern Ireland. Despite not mentioning abortion in his sermon, the retired pastor, Clive Johnston, is being accused of violating the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland), which outlaws actions aimed at "influencing" or "preventing or impeding" people seeking abortion services within 100 meters of eight abortion service providers in Northern Ireland, a barrier known as a "safe access zone."
The sermon, which took place across the street from the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, on July 7, 2024, included Johnston singing with a ukulele, telling his life story, and preaching John 3:16. Police body camera footage shows Johnston speaking the verse into a microphone when a policeman interrupts Johnston and tells him, "this is a safe access zone," and he must stop preaching. He also tells Johnston's associates that it's illegal to film in a safe access zone and they must stop (despite the legislation not prohibiting filming in these areas). Johnston politely tells the officer he was not violating the law because he did not mention abortion in his sermon, and refuses to leave. This prompts the officer to issue a warning to Johnston that "police may remove you, and if you resist, you may be removed and liable to prosecution."
