California City Gets Safety Zones Around Clinics

The Oakland City Council's Public Safety Committee has recommended that the city have "medical safety zones" around abortion clinics to keep protesters at least eight feet away from patients, staff or escorts. Those entering the zones to harass patients as they enter the building would face jail sentences of up to a year or fines of up to $2,000.

It's not a done deal yet, the full Council will hear the issue November 6. I hope it does and sets the ball rolling for other cities to do the same. This kind of localized policy is what it has come down to, given that federal and state laws which protect clinic patients are too weak, don't extend to staff and are rarely enforced in simple harassment cases.

Way to go Oak-Town!