Thousands took to the streets of Polish cities on Wednesday to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to ban almost all abortions, even as the country’s leading politician called on his conservative supporters to “defend Poland”.
The strike, led mainly by women, marked the sixth day in a row against the court proceedings.
“You will tear Poland to pieces, you will endanger a lot of people, you are a criminal,” said Jarosla Kazensky, deputy prime minister and leader of the ruling Law and Justice Party, in parliament on Wednesday.
The night before, in a video posted on Facebook and viewed by critics as a call to arms, he told supporters that “it’s time to defend Poland, to defend patriotism.”
“In particular, we have to defend the Polish Church,” Mr Kazensky added. “We have to defend them at all costs.”
“This is the only way we can win this war.”
Thousands of women, joined by countless men, on Wednesday flooded offices in dozens of cities, including Gdansk, Lodz, Varso and Vorka, but also small towns such as Semiotics in eastern Poland, which would hold law and justice.
In Versailles, a large crowd – most of them masked against the coronavirus – marched on Parliament, blocking traffic and shouting “Come with us!” No slogans. People looking out the windows and balconies along the way.
Many of the protesters carried anti-government slogans and signs depicting umbrellas, symbolizing protests in 2016 against attempts to ban abortion.
“My uterus is not your playground,” reads a sign. Others said, “I want to overthrow my government.
The country’s constitutional tribunal on Thursday ruled that cities and towns across the country have been rocked by protests over measures already tightened in Europe’s most prohibited abortion laws. This decision, which cannot be appealed, has prevented termination of pregnancy due to fetal abnormalities, the only type of abortion currently performed in the country. Pregnancy resulting from rape and endangering the lives of women are still formally legal.
Mr Kakinski’s call to crack down on demonstrations has threatened to create an increasingly volatile situation in the country when it became the largest outbreak of the coronavirus since the epidemic began in the spring.
Donald Tusk, former President of the European Council and Leader of the Opposition, said: Said in comments directed against the government on Twitter. “Back before the accident happened.”
Women adorned with red climbing light bolts, which have become the iconic image of the movement, have led recent demonstrations, but they have received support from a wide range of groups, including the government and protesters, miners.
And, for the first time, even in the Catholic Church, people’s anger is being directed. Poland is a religious country and activists disrupt church services on Sunday.
Right-wing extremists have taken swift action to crack down on protests.
The leader of the ultra-nationalist group, Robert Bakiewicz, said he would create a “Catholic self-defense force” to counter “neo-Bolshevik revolutionaries.”
“The sword of justice is hanging over them and if need be we will crush them and destroy this revolution,” he told reporters. “If the Polish nation cannot give us this protection, we will take action.”
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.
Jhestocovamanna Jasna Gora Monastery is a most sacred Catholic temples outside of Poland, who had resisted police, according to local radio reports, and organize tear gas to separate nationalists. In Poznaઈ, where protesters stormed a cathedral, a local girl was beaten worse by nationalists than confronted by the group, according to local news website Tenposnan.
In another demonstration in Warsaw on Monday, a car collided with two women taking part in a protest. Some observers said it looked as if the car had been deliberately pushed into the crowd. One woman was treated for injuries at the hospital and was later released, police said.
On Wednesday, the country’s largest daily newspaper Gazeta Viborza reported that the driver was a 44-year-old government security officer for the Internal Security Agency. He was detained by police, officials said.
The expression of public unrest and epidemic increased the uncertainty of the moment and led to a significant series of bitter exchanges in the Polish parliament.
Opposition lawmakers wore black and carried signs of protest as they confronted members of the law and justice, and tried to contact Mr Kazensky on Tuesday.
Mr Kakazinsky, who was protected by parliament’s security unit, called the opposition “Russian agents”, while female law and justice lawmakers treated him with his body.
The main opposition party, the parliamentary leader of the Civic Platform, Sezari Tomkazik, accused Mr Kakzinski of “calling for lynching” and said he wanted to make the ruling party loyal “militaries”.
Mr Kazensky replied that it was the protests that were inciting civil unrest and endangering public health.
“You will be held accountable,” he said.
After they arrived at parliament on Wednesday, protesters barricaded themselves in a scuffle with police guarding the building.
“Let’s do a lockdown for our MPs,” said Marta Lampart, a women’s strike leader via Metaphone. He added, “We’ll do everything we can to get them out.”
“Until the end of the Middle Ages in Poland,” added a voice from the crowd.
Anatole Magdziers contributed to the reporting from Varso.
