An MP has backed a council motion calling for misogyny to be treated as a hate crime following an anti-abortion campaign against her.

Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, joined Waltham Forest councillors at a meeting last night (October 17) to back the council’s motion to classify harassment of women as a hate crime.

She said there was currently a “blind spot” in the law when it came to the violence and harassment of women.

She spoke as the council approved a motion to make a submission to the Law Commission’s consultation in favour of making misogyny a hate crime.

The Law Commission is currently reviewing all current hate crime legislation and is due to report back to Parliament in 2020.

Stella Creasy told councillors the motion was not about “snowflake women who couldn’t take a compliment”.

She said “To walk down Hoe Street on a hot summer’s day is to face a minefield of intimidation, harassment and fear.

“This is so normal, we learn to cope rather than confront it, we change ourselves, not our environment.

“If residents from our black and ethnic minority communities reported such experiences we would rightly be up in arms. We would call it what it is. A hate crime.”

The currently pregnant MP was speaking following weeks of anti-abortion campaigns targeting her with a campaign she described as ‘harassment’.

The group, Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform UK (CBR UK), held its first protest in Walthamstow Town Centre on Saturday, September 28 and has held several protests since.

Protesters displayed posters of an aborted foetus and the words “Stop Stella”.

Stella told the meeting: “If what had been happening in Walthamstow to me these past few weeks had been about my skin colour, my sexuality, or my religion, no one here would pause for a second before calling the police. We would stand together to oppose it.”

On October 3, council officers attended CBR UK demonstrations and took down the posters.

In an article published on its website, CBR UK accused the council of ‘vandalising’ and destroying their property.

A council spokesperson said: “We fundamentally believe in free speech and the right to protest. Both are vital in a healthy democracy. However, residents and visitors to our town centre also have the fundamental right to use the town centre without being confronted with distressing images.

“We have received many complaints from members of the public about the display used by this group. We have responded proportionately having due regard to the right to protest and safety and wellbeing of all our residents and visitors.

“Given that the issues surrounding this and other similar incidents in the borough involving CBR UK may result in legal action, the council is unable to comment further at this stage.”

Scotland Yard has since confirmed it has received complaints about the protests and is working to establish if a crime has taken place.

In a statement on Facebook, CBR UK said: “CBR UK condemns all violence against those who perform, procure or promote abortion and refuses to work or be associated with any group or individual who refuses to condemn such violence.”