Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Poland on Friday to protest the predominantly Roman Catholic country’s abortion law. On Thursday, a ruling by the Polish Constitutional Court made this even stricter, which virtually banned abortion.
Thousands of people are on the move in Poznán, Wroclaw and Krakow, as can be seen on images from the local broadcaster THE T.V.
In Warsaw, protesters gather at the house of Jaroslaw Kacynski, the leader of the conservative PiS party. “You have blood on your hands,” can be read on banners. The police are also present in large numbers.
Protesters are angry with the PiS because the party is said to have too much influence on the constitutional court. PiS welcomes the court’s decision but denies having had any influence on it.
Wednesday judged this court that abortion on the grounds of serious abnormalities to the fetus is contrary to the constitution that guarantees the protection of everyone’s life. 98 percent of all abortions in the country are performed for this reason.
An exception is still made if the birth poses a threat to the health of the mother or if the pregnancy is the result of incest or rape.
2016 also emerged unrest in Poland because the government wanted to abolish abortion completely, after which the government decided to withdraw the proposal.
On Thursday evening, fifteen people were arrested in protests against the curtailment of the abortion law.
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