Poland protests: Large crowds march against right-wing government after abortion ban

Protest scheduled to coincide with 39th anniversary of martial law crackdown by country's then-communist regime

Poland Poland EU Fears (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Large numbers of people marched Sunday in Warsaw to protest Poland's right-wing government, the latest demonstration after a high court ruled to further tighten the country's already restrictive abortion law.

Sunday's protest was scheduled to coincide with the 39th anniversary of the 1981 martial law crackdown by the country's communist regime of the time. Many Poles accuse the government of acting more and more like the authoritarian regime of that era.

It was organized by the Women's Strike, a group behind a string of mass nationwide protests since the Oct. 22 abortion ruling. Others also joined in, with entrepreneurs turning out in frustration at the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The march was being held under the slogan, "We are going for freedom. We are going for everything!"

The protesters gathered at a central intersection and began marching to the home of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the ruling Law and Justice party and understood to be the country's de facto leader even though he is only a deputy prime minister.

Riot police blocked the protesters, forcing them to take another route along the Vistula River to reach Kaczynski's home in the northern Zoliborz district.

Police announced on loudspeakers that the protest was illegal, saying "we have an epidemic." To that the protesters replied: "We have an epidemic of PiS," using the Polish acronym for Law and Justice. "We are overthrowing the government!"

Many carried European Union and rainbow flags to show their support for tolerance and being part of the Western world.

Kaczynski's apartment building was surrounded by hundreds of police officers in riot gear, preventing the protesters from getting very close.

Disgruntled farmers angry also carried out a separate protest overnight, leaving a large mound of eggs, potatoes and a dead pig on the street in front of Kaczynski's home.

The farmers said they were receiving too little for their produce and accused the government of failing to respond to their problems.

Police said they fined four people for littering and blocking the street.

AP