New Glasgow police investigate alleged breach of bubble zone law after anti-abortion protest

Police in New Glasgow, N.S.,are investigating an alleged breach of a law banning anti-abortionprotests nearhealth-care facilities after a demonstrationlast month that was reportedly approved by one of their officers.

The Campaign Life Coalition held a protest on East River Road across from the Aberdeen Hospital as part of an annual day of "peaceful and prayerful pro-life witness" on Oct. 3.

Const. Ken MacDonald, a spokesperson for the New Glasgow Regional Police, said an investigationwas launched following a complaint received about a protestand police are consulting with Crown prosecutors.He declined to provide more details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Megan Boudreau, who successfully petitioned last year torestrict anti-abortion protests throughso-called bubble zone legislation, told CBC News she lodged the complaint with police shortly after the protest.

"I feel exhausted,"she said in an interview. "Ithought this was over. I thought I was done working hard for this."

Boudreau brought her petition to the provincial NDP last year, which was tabled by MLA Claudia Chender, along with a billbanning anti-abortion protests within a 50-metre radius of health-care centres, pharmacies and doctors' offices. The previous Liberal government turned that bill into law in March 2020.

When she arrived outside the Aberdeen Hospital last month, Boudreau said she immediately approached the protesters to tell them they were breaking the law. They respondedpolice had given them approval to be there.

Video captured by Boudreau on the day of the protest shows several people standing just north of the East River Road and Park Street intersection, on the sidewalk opposite the hospital. Many of them hold signs, including ones that read "Abortion Hurts Women" and "Abortion Kills Babies."

The anti-abortion protesters are separated from the southeast corner of the hospital by a four-lane road. It's not clearhow far they are from the edge of the hospital's property. Boudreau estimated it at about 20 metres.

The Campaign Life Coalition did not makeorganizers of the New Glasgow event available for comment, buta staff member from the group's national headquarters also said theyreceived police permission.

Boudreausaid police followed up on her complaint with a phone call days later and confirmed anofficer who didn't know about the bubble zone law gave the coalition the green light to protest.

"Clearly, they're not communicating new laws in an effective way," said Boudreau.

MacDonald said it is incumbent on officers, generally, to know the laws of the land.

"An officer has a duty to be informed in terms of what laws are established," he said.

Boudreau's video shows someprotestersstationed on the edge of the First Baptist Church property. The church's pastor, John Dunnett, told CBCNews by email his church was not involved in organizing the protest, but gave the organizers permission to use the parking lot.

The PC government passed an additional piece of bubble zone legislation this fall that bars any form of non-labour protest outside health-care facilities.That bill, which establisheda 50-metre "safe-access bubble zone," was introduced on Oct. 14.