The U.S. Department of State condemned the second arrest of 75-year-old Rose Docherty, who was criminally charged for holding a peaceful sign near an abortion clinic in Scotland.
Footage taken this week obtained by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) shows police officers approaching Docherty, who was holding a sign near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow that stated, “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.” The police informed her that she had to move further away from the hospital, and when she told them she intended to stay, they arrested her.
The police had to help the elderly woman step into the van, and she explained to them that she had a double hip replacement. Despite this, she was not allowed to have a chair in her cell.
She was held in custody for several hours, charged, and released on bail.
“The arrest of Rose Docherty is another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe,” the U.S. State Department told the Telegraph, ADF reported. “When 75-year-old grandmothers are being arrested for standing peacefully and offering conversation, common sense and basic civility are under attack. The United States will always speak out against these violations of fundamental rights.”
Docherty was arrested for the same sign on Feb. 19, 2025, but Scotland dropped her case in August after the ADF successfully challenged the case, as CatholicVote previously reported.