Not too long ago, Vice President JD Vance warned that the United States wouldn’t be far behind the United Kingdom’s (UK) “thought crime” laws targeting pro-lifers – a position we quite agree with, given our team has already had run-ins with ideologically biased (and enforced) laws. Sadly, our pals across the pond just confirmed those fears yet again. In a case that has drawn even the attention of the U.S. State Department, a woman named Livia Tossici-Bolt has been convicted of being willing to talk near an abortion vendor operation.   

No, literally. Her ‘crime’ was standing across from an abortion vendor with a sign that read, “Here to Talk If You Want,” with NO REFERENCE to abortion. Still, that was a bridge too far for the UK, and its government decided to make an example of her.   

READ: Orwellian Persecution: Pro-Lifers Arrested for Silently Praying and Sued for Speaking Outside of Abortion Facility    

According to The Guardian, “(Livia) Tossici-Bolt was given a conditional discharge and ordered not to commit any additional offences over a two-year period. She was ordered to pay costs of £20,000 towards what the judge said had been the ‘considerable’ resources expended by the local authority, along with £26 towards a victim surcharge fee.”  

Perhaps the UK should take a leaf out of DOGE’s notebook if it takes such considerable resources to keep a peaceful granny from talking to people in public.  

In case anyone was left in doubt, following the conviction, that this ruling was motivated by pro-abortion bias, The Guardian wrote: “Judge Orla Austin said it was beyond reasonable doubt that Tossici-Bolt was engaging in an act of disapproval of abortion services on the days in question. “She lacks insight that her presence could have a detrimental effect on the women attending the clinic, their associates, staff and members of the public.” 

Students for Life of America (SFLA) has long warned of the need to stop policing free speech, consistently citing the damaging results of the FACE Act, and it seems the U.S. State Department may be catching on.   

The Guardian reports, “A delegation from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), an office within the US State Department, met Tossici-Bolt last month during a visit to the UK, along with a US-backed anti-abortion group, which had been supporting her case.”  

We hope this incident encourages Vice President Vance to come to the aid of American pro-lifers targeted by the FACE Act and remember his words during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Germany, where he addressed the United Kingdom’s free speech regression.   

READ: America Must NOT Regress to Prosecuting Pro-Life Thought Crimes: JD Vance Delivers Free Speech Warning in Europe  

“I come here today not just with an observation but with an offer. Just as the [President Joe] Biden administration seemed desperate to silence people for speaking their minds, so the [President Donald] Trump administration will do precisely the opposite, and I hope that we can work together on that,” said Vance during his speech.  

Let’s also not forget Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing for the United States Attorney General, when Sen. Hawley brought forth the Biden Administration’s “disgraceful chapter,” citing more than 100 Pregnancy Help Centers (PHCs) and 300 churches attacked by violent abortion zealots, vandalized and firebombed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) only acting in two cases.   

We’re hopeful that Congress and the leaders of our country will notice this latest warning from the UK and move to abolish the FACE Act.   

How many more warnings do we need?   

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