⁍ Poland rocked by huge demonstrations since top court ruled last Thursday that abortion due to foetal abnormalities was not permissible under the constitution.


⁍ Decision means only abortions due to incest, rape or a risk to the mother’s health remain legal.


⁍ Demonstrators have blamed the nationalist government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the Roman Catholic Church.


⁍ On Wednesday, organisers called for a nationwide walk-out for women at work.


– Poland’s government says it will respect a court ruling that permits only abortions in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the mother’s health, reports the BBC. The Law and Justice party on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to reschedule a decision that had been set to take effect on Thursday, when abortion is legal in cases of rape, incest, and risk to the mother’s health, per Reuters. The move is designed to give the government more time to consult with the Catholic Church, which has strongly supported the Law and Justice party’s anti-abortion policies. The Law and Justice party, which took power in the country’s first free elections in five years last year, says the ruling is a victory for the unborn. “We believe that every day of delay is a day that we lose another child’s life because of suspected flaws or genetic diseases,” the director of an anti-abortion campaign group tells Reuters. The Law and Justice party, which has close ties to the Catholic Church, says the ruling was not influenced by the church.



Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-poland-abortion/police-warn-of-tougher-action-as-thousands-join-abortion-protests-in-poland-idUSKBN27D2IO