The Polish parliament voted against the bill on a total ban on abortion in the second reading following mass protests.
The Polish parliament voted overwhelmingly in the second reading to reject the bill on a total ban and criminalisation of abortion. The controversial bill on tighter abortion control that provoked hot debates, mass protests and a warning strike won’t be passed into law. The parliamentary commission on justice and human rights earlier called on MPs to vote down the bill.
Protests against the scandalous bill on a total ban on abortion and imposing criminal prosecution for those who assist abortion have been held across Poland throughout the week. The protests culminated in a preventive strike on Monday. Women didn’t go to work and about 100,000 people took to streets in Warsaw protesting against the bill that violates women’s rights. Solidarity actions were held all over the world.
1000s turned up in Berlin to protest against insane new abortion laws in Poland. #CzarnyProtest #blackprotest pic.twitter.com/JID6yD1t5k
— Mat Tomaszewski (@mattomaszewski) October 3, 2016
Londyn#czarnyprotest pic.twitter.com/zF5ayocL6a
— DariuszR (@DarekReczek) October 3, 2016
Russian women also posting pictures of themselves in black in solidarity with Polish women #CzarnyProtest pic.twitter.com/lwYHeUEPUY
— Ola Cichowlas (@olacicho) October 3, 2016
After the rally under the hashtag #CzarnyProtest (black protest) that called on participants to put on black clothes, the government said adopting the law wasn’t a good idea. Poland’s minister of science and higher education Jarosław Gowin noted the protests made politicians think and taught them humility. Speaker of the parliament’s upper house Stanisław Karczewski promised the Senate would not initiate a bill to ban abortion.
Paris yesterday! Thinking about all polish ladies today #czarnyprotest pic.twitter.com/u2QujLv2Hy
— Susanne Junker (@stageback696) October 3, 2016
Women in Ukraine protest at Poland embassy in Kyiv in solidarity with #CzarnyProtest
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) October 3, 2016
pics by @HromadskeUA pic.twitter.com/yfl4mgF5cY
Total solidarity with women in Poland today, striking to protest the proposed law bringing a near total ban on abortion #CzarnyProtest pic.twitter.com/NSy7b0U92C
— Womenscouncilireland (@NWCI) October 3, 2016
The strike and mass protests across Poland were provoked by the bill proposed by Stop Abortion coalition that suggested imposing a total ban on abortion and prosecuting women and doctors who perform terminations. The bill, which was supported by the ruling right-wing conservative party, passed its first reading in the parliament. As of now, Polish laws allow abortion in cases of rape or if the woman’s or fetus’s health is in danger. In other cases Polish women have to go abroad for an abortion or turn to dangerous underground procedures. A recent opinion poll in Poland showed that only 11% of respondents supported the bill. About 50% said the current law should be left without changes, while more than a third said abortion should be more available.
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