Tens of thousands of black-clad women protested across Poland Monday against a proposed near-total abortion ban in the devoutly Catholic country, where the law is already among the most restrictive in Europe. Protesters flooded central squares in major Polish cities for the “Women strike” campaign, as solidarity protests sprang up in European capitals including Berlin, London and Paris, among others.
Organisers used social media to launch the country-wide action — one of the largest-ever pro-choice events in Poland — urging women to stay away from work and school to attend street protests. “What’s happening is sick!” Anna, a 30-year-old who declined to reveal her surname, told AFP in the pouring rain at a huge rally in front of Warsaw’s Royal Castle. READ MORE
