Women are being spat on outside my abortion clinic. Where is the safe zone we're legally entitled to? | Michaela McDaid

These areas stop protesters screaming and waving plastic foetuses at close range. All women deserve that protection

• Michaela McDaid works at an MSI Reproductive Choices abortion clinic in south London

In the 17 years I have worked at an abortion clinic, I've become accustomed to being called a murderer or told I have blood on my hands. But I'll never get used to seeing women and girls in tears because of the harassment they've faced. This intimidation by anti-abortion groups has been intensifying for years, but there has been a sharp increase since the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US in 2022. Clinic workers like me are left with the unenviable task of trying to shield people accessing healthcare from graphic images, and our team members from being spat at as they come into work.

Last year, it felt as if an end was finally in sight. The Labour MP Stella Creasy had previously tabled an amendment to introduce safe-access zones around all abortion clinics in England and Wales, which was then signed into law in 2023. These were supposed to create a buffer of 150 metres around clinics like the one I work at in south London, preventing the harassment we now see on a daily basis. The relief was unimaginable.

Michaela McDaid works at an MSI Reproductive Choices abortion clinic in south London

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