*Warning for graphic images*
AN anti-abortion campaign is seeing its billboards taken down over claims of harassment after they targetted at a Westminster MP.
Stella Creasy has received an apology from Clear Chanel, the owners of the billboards, who have said they will take immediate action.
The billboards carried advertisements from CBRUK, an anti-abortion group, which carried an image on an unborn child and the words “9-week living fetus”.
Underneath those words, it said “StopStella.com”.
In July, Creasy put forward an amendment to decriminalise abortion in Northern Ireland. The amendment was passed by Westminster.
The MP for Walthamstow had earlier taken to Twitter to hit out at Clear Chanel and to criticise the police’s inaction over the incident.
She wrote alongside images of one of the billboards: “Twitter-can you get me the CEO of @CCUK_Direct advertising? how much did you get for this crap? @metpoliceuk still think this is just 'free speech' and not harassment of women in Walthamstow? Am sorry for the graphic images and @patel4witham am reaching out to you for help now.”
Twitter-can you get me the CEO of @CCUK_Direct advertising? how much did you get for this crap? @metpoliceuk still think this is just 'free speech' and not harassment of women in walthamstow? Am sorry for the graphic images and @patel4witham am reaching out to you for help now. pic.twitter.com/rOG7Gc3App
— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) September 30, 2019
Later, after the billboard had been covered in white paint, Creasy tweeted another image, accompanied by the words: “I would rather @CCUK_Direct took this advert down, the @metpoliceuk acted to stop the harassment and @patel4witham brought in buffer zone legislation to deal with these people in first place - but in the meantime seems Walthamstow has my back. #lovewalthamstow #hatebullies.”
I would rather @CCUK_Direct took this advert down, the @metpoliceuk acted to stop the harassment and @patel4witham brought in buffer zone legislation to deal with these people in first place - but in the mean time seems Walthamstow has my back ..#lovewalthamstow #hatebullies pic.twitter.com/gRwrEG8jv1
— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) September 30, 2019
The Advertising Standards Agency said it had received 100 complaints about the campaign.
A spokesperson told the BBC: "Our rules state that ads must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence.
Clear Channel said it took a "neutral stance" on advertising and is bound by UK Advertising Codes: "While this campaign met these requirements, we accept that the content should have been scrutinised in greater detail and should not have been displayed."
Creasy was accused by Ruth Rawlins of CBRUK of showing "hypocrisy" by only using the word baby "when a child is wanted but totally ignores the word in conversations about an unwanted baby".
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