Despite coronavirus restrictions, thousands of people from all over Poland took part in a protest march in Warsaw on Friday against a de facto ban on abortion. The Polish government is preparing to make access to abortions more difficult following the verdict of the Constitutional Court, which concluded that abortion, even in the case of severe fetal damage, is contrary to the constitution.
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The participants of the event met in front of the government buildings and also in front of the seat of the ruling conservative Party Law and Justice (PiS). According to the DPA, the protesters with banners with, for example, the words “My body, my choice” took to the streets to the sound of horns and the amplions were accompanied by the words of speakers who sharply criticized the government.
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“We are ready to fight until the end,” AFP quoted one of the event’s organizers, Marta Lempart. The organizers may also face possible prosecution, because in Poland, due to the spreading coronavirus infection, there is now a regulation that allows a maximum of five people to meet in public.
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A large number of police officers gathered in the center of the Polish capital for a demonstration. “We expect it to be the biggest protest since the verdict,” said police spokesman Sylwester Marczak, who said police reinforcements had arrived in the city.
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Smaller protests were also convened in other cities, such as Krakow and Wroclaw.
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Demonstrations in Poland continue on the ninth day after the Constitutional Court issued a verdict last Thursday that the current version of the 1993 abortion law violates the constitution. The court, composed mainly of judges nominated by the ruling Law and Justice Party, wants to change the part of the law that allows abortion in the event of serious developmental defects in the fetus. According to statistics, these cases accounted for 98 percent of legal abortions in recent years. Abortions should be allowed if the life or health of the mother is endangered or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
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There were also protests in Prague in front of the Polish embassy. Take a look at the photo gallery from the place.
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