Polish Women in 51 Cities Protest Against Near-Total Abortion Ban

The publishing of the constitutional court's decision, necessary for it to become law, means abortion will become all but illegal in Poland, given that terminations caused by irreversible damage to the foetus represent about 98 per cent of the abortions conducted legally in the country each year. The ruling's publication had been postponed, reportedly at the behest of the conservative Law and Justice-led (PiS) government, which has illegally stuffed the court with friendly judges, following massive protests across the country last year.

The Polish Women's Strike, the main organiser of the demonstrations, says people will keep protesting over the next days, including the blocking of main roads in Warsaw and a bigger protest in the capital scheduled for Saturday.

The Polish Women's Strike, the main organiser of the demonstrations, says people will keep protesting over the next days, including the blocking of main roads in Warsaw and a bigger protest in the capital scheduled for Saturday.

In Warsaw, thousands of women began protesting outside the Constitutional Tribunal, later marching to the PiS HQ and a central roundabout, which the protesters refer to as "The Women's Rights Rondo". Photo: EPA/EFE Radek Pietruszka

Protest leaders, such as Marta Lempart from the Polish Womens Strike (pictured here), do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal, which they point out is in the hands of PiS. Photo: EPA/EFE Radek Pietruszka

According to the Polish Womens Strike, protests took place on Wednesday in 51 locations across Poland. Photo: EPA/EFE Radek Pietruszka

More protests are scheduled for the next few days across Poland, including a bigger demo on Saturday in Warsaw. Photo:...