Protests for abortion liberalization announced in 27 Polish cities — RMF24
Protests against the current abortion rules took place in dozens of cities across Poland. Actions under the slogan “Red Card for Abortion” were announced in 27 localities. Participants demanded that the ruling coalition fulfill its election promises on liberalizing legislation, RMF24 reports.
Actions near the Sejm and in the regions
Demonstrators brought red cards intended to symbolize their protest against the actions of the current authorities. In Warsaw, despite the rain, several hundred people gathered near the Sejm building. According to the outlet, this action was significantly smaller than the protests held six years ago after the decision of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal.
Protesters stated that no promised changes concerning access to abortion had occurred in the three years since the change of government. Participants in the actions in Warsaw and Szczecin also stressed their intention to increase public pressure on the government.
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Sejm decision on decriminalization
A day before the protests, the Sejm supported a bill amending the Criminal Code, submitted in July 2024 by lawmakers from The Left and the Civic Coalition. The document provides for the partial decriminalization of abortions performed with a woman’s consent in violation of legal provisions, as well as the decriminalization of assistance with self-managed abortion.
The draft proposes repealing part of Article 152 of the Criminal Code, which provides for punishment for assisting in the termination of a pregnancy in violation of the law or inducing someone to do so. It also proposes excluding criminal liability for doctors, nurses and midwives in medical situations specified by law.
Currently, abortion in Poland is permitted in two cases: when the pregnancy poses a threat to the woman’s life or health, and when it resulted from a crime — up to the 12th week. In October 2020, the Constitutional Tribunal found unconstitutional a provision that allowed abortion in the event of severe and irreversible fetal defects or an incurable disease threatening its life. The ruling was published in January 2021.
