MSPs have slammed the holding of a major anti-abortion protest outside a Scottish hospital.

Over 60 members of the 40 Days for Life group demonstrated by the entrance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, holding signs condemning abortion and praying out loud.

Green MSP Gillian Mackay condemned the protest, telling The National: "The shocking scenes outside QEUH underline exactly why buffer zones are so necessary.

"Nobody should ever be subjected to that kind of harassment, and certainly not outside a hospital.

"These protests are completely wrong, and the vast majority of people will be appalled by them."

READ MORE: Bishop compares prayer vigils at abortion clinics to Faslane peace camps

Mackay has launched a bill to ban protests around healthcare facilities providing abortions in Scotland.

She wrote: "Stage 1 evidence on my Safe Access Zones Bill has finished.

"Stopping these kinds of scenes has never been closer."

Mackay told The National that she hoped her bill would "end these protests for good", continuing:  "The protesters know the impact they are having on patients and staff but that hasn't stopped them.

"They do not represent Glasgow, or the modern and progressive Scotland that I know we can be.

"Abortion rights are human rights, but this is also about privacy, respect and dignity. With my Bill going through parliament, we are finally on the verge of delivering the change that so many people have campaigned for."

Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon, also posting on the platform, wrote: "People should be able to access hospitals and healthcare facilities without facing protest groups.

"I'll be voting for the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill to protect women's privacy and mental health."

Mackay encouraged concerned members of the public to get in touch with their MSPs and ask them to support the bill.

Campaigner Gemma Clark originally posted a photo of the event to Twitter/X, describing it as "disgusting".

She wrote: "Anti-abortion protesters as far as the eye can see picketing the QEUH. 

"That's not about helping women. That's about intimidation. Disgusting."

The event, timed to fall on Palm Sunday, was organised by the 40 Days for Life anti-abortion group, which has links to the American anti-abortion movement.

The Diocese of Paisley advertised the vigil on their website, calling it a "traditional and silent candlelit hour" to "commemorate the lives of all children killed by abortion".

It encouraged participants to "stand in silence" for the duration of the event, but a video posted to Twitter/X showed participants praying out loud together.

Mackay explained