Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to gather in more than 40 cities across Poland today, following last week’s decision by Parliament to consider a bill to restrict access to abortion.
The demonstrations come more than a year after the large-scale mobilization dubbed the Black Protest forced the government into an historic U-turn on a proposed abortion ban.
“With the victory of the Black Protest still fresh in their minds, women across Poland will once again take to the streets, standing together against proposals which would strip them of their rights and endanger their health,” said Monica Costa Riba, Amnesty International’s Women’s Rights Campaigner for Europe.
“Poland already has one of the most repressive abortion laws in Europe and further restrictions would be a dangerous backward step. Decisions about women’s bodies and health should be made by women themselves and not by politicians.”