The Catholic Church in Poland, which is considered a stronghold of Catholicism in Europe and has long been criticized for supporting an ultra-conservative government, is among the first targets of a mass uprising against the country’s near-total abortion ban.
Defying the bans imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of Poles have been on the streets of various cities for eight days reacting to the decision of the Constitutional Court, which ruled that abortions due to fetal defects were unconstitutional.
Many religious buildings have been covered in graffiti with protesters accusing the church of promoting “hell for women.” Many protesters were holding banners and shouting slogans against the church.
Some services were disrupted by activists who stormed church interior, an unprecedented situation in Poland’s modern history, as evidenced in images and videos posted widely on social media sites and broadcast by the media.
According to a recent poll, 66% of Poles oppose the Constitutional Court ruling, while 69% want a referendum on abortion to take place.
Source: ANA-MPA
