Abortion Ban in Poland Sparks Warsaw’s Largest Protest Since 1989

Tens of thousands march in Warsaw against a near total ban on abortion. (Pixabay)

Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled on October 22 that nearly all types of abortion would be illegal. Tens of thousands of women marched in Warsaw protesting the ruling on the weekend of October 30. These protests mark the largest demonstration in Poland since the Solidarity movement in 1989.

The court’s decision outlawed abortions due to fetal abnormalities. Now, mothers may only terminate pregnancies that threaten their life or are the result of rape.

Poland is a strongly Catholic country, and its abortion laws are already the strictest on the continent. However, BBC reports that the majority of the public opposes more restrictions on abortion. 

Protests culminated in the week leading up to October 30 and remained peaceful. The protestors adopted the symbol of a a red lighting bolt, which is an emblem of the Polish Women’s Strike initiative. 

Demonstrators notably criticized the Law and Justice Party, a conservative, right-wing party heavily aligned with Catholicism in Poland. Protestors view the government’s ruling as an extension of dwindling human rights under the current government.

Anna Rabszuk, a protestor participating in the demonstrations, said, “I’m here because my sense of helplessness has reached its peak… People before embryos… I feel unimportant, I feel less and less like a Pole and I feel really sad about that.”

Those against the court ruling also expressed dissatisfaction with the church and religious establishment in Poland. Protestors have gathered before churches and even disrupted Mass. “I feel a lot of hatred toward the church,” said Catholic-born protestor Zuza Rawa.

Far-right protestors have also joined the scene in Warsaw, countering the pro-abortion voices. Police and civil rights groups fear the far-right protestors may cause the protests to turn violent. Far-right groups have gathered mainly outside of churches and cathedrals, some clad in black and armed with pepper spray, proclaiming themselves to be the national guard.

Draginja Nadazdin of Amnesty Poland said, “There are concerns of further attacks by nationalist groups on protesters tonight. The police must facilitate those wishing to protest peacefully in support of women, including by safeguarding protesters against harassment and violent attacks by counter-demonstrators.”