{"id":2095626,"date":"2023-11-09T18:10:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T23:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/british-army-vet-faces-charges-after-thoughtcrime-of-praying-near-u-k-abortion-clinic\/"},"modified":"2023-11-09T18:12:44","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T23:12:44","slug":"british-army-vet-faces-charges-after-thoughtcrime-of-praying-near-u-k-abortion-clinic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/british-army-vet-faces-charges-after-thoughtcrime-of-praying-near-u-k-abortion-clinic\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Army Vet Charged for Praying Near Abortion Clinic"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbritish-army-vet-faces-charges-after-thoughtcrime-of-praying-near-u-k-abortion-clinic%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2095626&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>A Former \u200bBritish Army Reservist Warns \u200bof Threats to Fundamental Freedoms in\u2062 the UK<\/h2>\n<p>A former British Army reservist, Adam Smith-Connor, who is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-charges-unveiled-against-trump-in-mar-a-lago-documents-case\/\" title=\"Trump faces new charges in Mar-a-Lago documents case.\">facing\u200c criminal charges<\/a> for \u200bsilently praying near an\u2062 abortion clinic in the\u200c UK last year, has\u200b issued a warning to his fellow countrymen. He believes that the very freedoms he fought to protect are now in danger.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cYou might think this is a story from Orwell\u2019s 1984\u200c \u2013 but in fact this is happening in England in 2023,\u201d \u200dSmith-Connor said in a November \u200d9\u2064 news release. \u201c\u2018Thoughtcrimes\u2019 shouldn\u2019t \u200cbe prosecuted in the\u2064 UK.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Smith-Connor, a\u2062 father \u200band a\u200b military veteran\u2062 with 20 years of service, including\u200d time \u2062in Afghanistan, recounted his encounter with local\u2062 council officers when he silently prayed outside the\u200d BPAS abortion clinic in Bournemouth, England,\u2064 in November 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Bodycam footage captured Smith-Connor, 50,\u200c engaging\u2063 with authorities who questioned\u2064 the \u200bnature of\u2063 his prayer. He explained that he was praying for men\u2062 and women considering abortion, drawing \u200dfrom his own experience over two decades ago when he arranged and paid for his girlfriend to abort their son.<\/p>\n<p>However, the authorities\u200c informed him\u200b that he had\u2063 violated \u200ba local &#8220;buffer zone&#8221; ordinance, known \u2062as a Public\u2062 Spaces \u200bProtection \u2064Order (PSPO), which, according\u200c to Smith-Connor&#8217;s \u200battorneys, prohibits the expression of approval or disapproval of abortion, including through prayer.<\/p>\n<p>A \u2064Council spokesperson told \u200cthe Daily Mail that Smith-Connor was\u200b charged with breaching a term of prohibition \u20624g\u200d of the\u200d PSPO on August \u200d9.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\">CLICK HERE TO\u2064 GET THE DAILY WIRE APP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Smith-Connor&#8217;s legal defense argued that he was \u200cissued \u200da penalty fine notice for \u200dsimply\u2064 silently praying in his \u200cmind\u2062 for a few \u2062minutes with his back \u2064turned away from the clinic. The notice stated that he was being charged for &#8220;praying for\u200d his deceased son.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>During an August \u2062hearing at Poole Magistrates&#8217; \u2064Court, Smith-Connor pleaded\u2063 not guilty. He expressed his \u200dconcern\u200c about\u200d the erosion of freedom of thought in the UK, \u2064stating,\u200c &#8220;I fought to defend our\u2062 freedoms \u2013 but now my own freedom of thought \u200bis in jeopardy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Smith-Connor&#8217;s warning about the Orwellian tactics emerging in \u2064the United Kingdom comes just days before \u200bRemembrance Sunday, a day when the\u2062 nation honors deceased veterans who fought to uphold their freedoms.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Sadly, today, we are\u2064 in \u2064danger of dismantling the values for which they died,&#8221; Smith-Connor said.<\/p>\n<p>Smith-Connor is scheduled to face\u2062 trial on November 16. His legal counsel, Jeremiah Igunnubole, from ADF UK, raised concerns about the democratic accountability of the\u2064 charges, as the council both \u2062drafted the PSPO and is prosecuting those\u200d who\u200c violate it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If Adam\u200d had been thinking about an issue other \u200bthan\u2064 abortion \u2013 for\u200b example, climate change \u2013 then\u2064 there would be no issue raised here,&#8221; Igunnubole said.<\/p>\n<p>Igunnubole also highlighted that Smith-Connor is\u2063 not the only individual facing penalties\u200c for\u2063 &#8220;thoughtcrimes&#8221; in the \u200bUK. Last\u200b year, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a 45-year-old charity volunteer, was arrested for allegedly\u2063 breaking a temporary PSPO on\u2063 four\u200d separate occasions after praying outside a BPAS abortion clinic in Kings Norton, Birmingham.<\/p>\n<p>These <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/british-army-vet-faces-charges-after-thoughtcrime-of-praying-near-u-k-abortion-clinic\/\" title=\"UK Army Vet Charged for Praying Near Abortion Clinic\">incidents follow previous cases<\/a> \u2062where a \u2062praying woman in Southern England was told to leave a local censorship \u200czone\u200b by the police \u200band a\u2063 grandmother \u200dfrom Liverpool was arrested and fined for\u2064 silently praying near an abortion facility \u200cduring\u2063 the COVID \u200blockdown.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2063 What parallels\u200c does Smith-Connor draw between his ordeal and\u2062 George Orwell&#8217;s novel, 1984? <\/h2>\n<p><span>  O DOWNLOAD THE DESKTOP VERSION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The incident involving Adam Smith-Connor has raised concerns\u200c about the erosion of fundamental\u200b freedoms \u2063in\u200d the UK. \u2064As\u200c a former British Army\u2063 reservist,\u200d Smith-Connor is \u2063well aware of the \u2063sacrifices\u2064 made to protect these very freedoms, \u2062making his warning even more\u2064 significant.<\/p>\n<p>In a news release on November \u200b9, Smith-Connor drew\u2064 parallels between\u200c his ordeal and George Orwell&#8217;s dystopian novel, 1984. He expressed disbelief that such &#8220;thoughtcrimes&#8221; are \u200dbeing \u2064prosecuted in England in\u2064 2023. This statement highlights \u200cthe\u200c growing concern among \u2062many that the UK is heading down\u200c a dangerous \u2062path of suppressing free\u2063 thought and expression.<\/p>\n<p>Smith-Connor&#8217;s encounter with local council officers outside the BPAS abortion clinic in Bournemouth sheds light on \u2064the\u200b extent of the issue. Bodycam footage captured \u2063the interaction, wherein Smith-Connor explained that he was silently praying for men and women considering\u200d abortion. It is worth noting that\u200b his prayer was based on\u200c his personal experience,\u2062 having arranged and paid for an abortion with his girlfriend \u2062two decades ago.<\/p>\n<p>However, the authorities informed Smith-Connor that he had violated a local \u200d&#8221;buffer zone&#8221; ordinance called a \u2062Public Spaces Protection \u2064Order (PSPO). \u200dAccording\u200b to his attorneys,\u200c this ordinance prohibits any expression of approval or disapproval of abortion, including \u2064through prayer.\u200b This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mobs-of-teens-loot-philadelphia-stores\/\" title=\"Philadelphia stores looted by teen mobs.\">incident\u200b raises concerns<\/a> about the\u2064 limits being placed on freedom of \u200creligious expression and\u200b the right\u2062 to peacefully protest.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that \u2064Smith-Connor, a father and military veteran with 20 years of service,\u200c including time spent \u2062in Afghanistan, is\u2062 now facing criminal charges for exercising his right \u2062to peaceful prayer is deeply troubling. It \u2062begs the question: what\u2063 other fundamental freedoms are\u2062 at risk \u2063of being curtailed in\u200d the UK?<\/p>\n<p>The British \u200cgovernment \u200band local authorities should take heed of \u200bSmith-Connor&#8217;s warning. The safeguarding of fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion,\u200b is essential\u200b in maintaining \u200da democratic \u200bsociety. Any \u2062attempts to restrict these \u200cvaluable rights undermine the very foundations upon which the UK is built.<\/p>\n<p>It \u2062is \u200dcrucial for citizens across the country to be aware of the threats to their freedoms and to \u200bstand up against\u200d any encroachments on their\u2063 rights. Adam Smith-Connor&#8217;s case serves as a stark\u2064 reminder that complacency\u200d can lead\u200c to the erosion of the very values that we hold dear.<\/p>\n<p>In\u200d this critical moment, it is \u2063essential for civil society organizations, human rights advocates, and concerned citizens \u200bto come together to \u200crally against any \u200bmeasures that threaten our \u2063fundamental freedoms. The protection of\u200d these\u2062 rights should be a top priority for the British government and its \u2062citizens.<\/p>\n<p>The alarming incident involving Adam Smith-Connor should serve as \u2062a wake-up \u2064call \u200bto the UK as a whole. \u2062The defense of fundamental\u2064 freedoms requires \u2062vigilance and a commitment to upholding the democratic principles upon \u2062which our society \u200dthrives. We\u200d cannot\u200b allow Orwell&#8217;s dystopian vision to become a reality\u200b in \u200cour country. It\u2063 is our duty to protect and preserve the \u2063freedoms \u2063that countless individuals have fought for throughout history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former British Army reservist who faces criminal charges next week for silently praying near an abortion clinic in the U.K. last year warned his fellow countrymen that the fundamental freedoms he fought to protect are in danger. \u201cYou might think this is a story from Orwell\u2019s 1984 \u2013 but in fact this is happening<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":429,"featured_media":2095627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2095626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/429"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2095626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2095627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2095626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2095626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2095626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}