Chapter 8: The Pro-Choice Response: Counterdemonstrations

We have now outlined the motivations of anti-abortion activists, their religious practices and the way that they occupied the space outside clinics. This chapter will deepen the understanding of how space is used for activism by bringing in the perspectives, motivations and actions of counterdemonstrators. We will highlight the complex ways regarding how religion gets positioned in the debate and the way different emotions are deployed, such as anger and humour. We will emphasise that public sphere dynamics regarding anti-abortion activism relate not only to how religion is understood but also to the importance of recognising the public sphere as a gendered space. We begin, however, with a brief reminder of the experiences of those who encounter the anti-abortion activists in the specific space outside the clinic and the distress that their activities generate.