Polish abortion ban - London protest

[RoseDeGambrinus]

The Polish parliament has just voted through to legislative committee a law that would ban all abortion except if the mother was dying, even in cases of rape or incest. Women could be sentenced to 5 years in prison for having an abortion or even miscarriage. Plus I think it bans the morning after pill and sex education in schools. Sorry I've got no time to post more but search for #czarnyprotest and I think there is a protest outside the Polish embassy here tomorrow at 4pm. Just aaargh.

Well what a backwards step for women's right to bodily autonomy

What the hell is going on - where did this come from?!
Why are we going backwards? :(

According to the guardian they've also made it illegal to freeze embryos for IVF treatments.

Does that make IVF impossible? Or is it just the long term storage of embryos that would be affected? It's a huge backward step either way.

Unbelievable why on earth are women's rights going backwards in this day & age? How utterly depressing

I see it would also impose prison sentences on women who have abortions. How is any of this compatible with human rights legislation?

speak, I think it's just the storage of embryos long term, but I don't know.

Speak, there is talk of only being able to implant a single embryo each time, and no embryos can be frozen at all. So yes, it effectively means the end of IVF in Poland.

I suppose it's consistent at least, if they are saying that human life begins at conception then creating more than one embryo means more than one alive person, which cannot be frozen and implanting more than one embryo raises the possibility that one of them will not develop into and actual human.

It's the forced birther end game really. Wait out for US states thinking this is all a SUPER idea.

What was that alternative economics book a few years back? One of the chapters was about an Eastern European country that made abortion illegal (and birth control hard to get as well, I think) and the dictator reaped what he sowed, about 20 years later, when these children rose up in rebellion.

Was satisfying to read, but who wants to wait 20 years? Not me.

How can you sign up to everything you sign up for when you join the EU, then do this? How is it that we have regulations around everything from cucumbers to livestock to house insulation, but none around how women must be treated.

If the WEP is going to be good for anything at all, they could at least make a stand on this. Make a real change for women.

Off out to work but just marking my place. Eugh.

I remember thinking way back when Solidarity was throwing out communism that there would be a huge element of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I'm not by a million miles away supporter of communism/Marxism/ socialism but having the Catholic Church dictate social policy is not an improvement.

Poland | Wikigender
www.wikigender.org/countries/europe-and-central-asia/gender-equality-in-poland/

The difference has come because Poland has elected an ultra conservative, pro Catholic, Right Wing government in since joining the EU.

How can you sign up to everything you sign up for when you join the EU, then do this?

Northern Ireland is part of the UK, and abortion is still illegal there. A woman was given a prison sentence for having an abortion here in the UK this year. We've been in the EU since 1973.

The Polish parliament - led by a large majority of ultra conservatives - is about to pass a law to criminalise abortion, depriving women their rights over their own body!
Polish women now risk 5 years in prison, even when they are victims of rape or incestuous abuse. We are going back to the middle ages!!!

This ISwar on women.

It looks like there is going to be general strike of Polish women on Monday 03/10

We, in London, are going to have picnic in support of the strike.

I am so angry, I went to the protest in front of Polish embassy yesterday.
We got support with speakers from Irish, Spanish, South American and Northern Irish reproductive rights activists.
Yes, it is happening in Europe, in EU, in a democracy!

A young colleague of mine, who has a university place starting in a week's time, has just found out she's pregnant. Not that it's anyone's concern but theirs, but they double up on contraception, because she's young and has stuff she wants to do before having children.

Her mother is Polish, her father Irish. When she came to talk to me about what's going on in her life and what she may or may not decide to do about it, she mentioned in passing that, had she been living in either of her parents' home countries, she would now have no options. She doesn't know what she will do, her head is telling her that an abortion is the only sensible thing to do, but she's conflicted. I didn't try and influence her one way or another when we discussed her various options.

Being pro-choice is just that. Not being all out for abortion, because that's just stupid, but calling for women to have choices.

Can you let us know how we can help with things, antimatter?

That's a fucking outrage. But presumably these right wing catholics hold a parliamentary majority? What's the general view on these issues in Poland?

Parlimentary majority is Ultra Catholic (PiS called Law&Order), and they are dismantling democracy bit by tit as well.
Overwhelming support (over 60% in the last poll) is for women to have Abortion and right to choose.

This current update of the law is going much further and the public doesn't know the actual facts because we are preaching to the converted (FB and the likes).
I imagine that the situation is not far off in what Brexit was like where people were thinking they were voting for something completely different.
(btw I live in England but I am Polish as you might have gathered)

Please sign and share petition in support of fast disappearing human rights of Polish Women

www.facebook.com/PolishFeminists/posts/1805578466353201?notif_t=like&notif_id=1474886432034822

In case you know anyone Polish please pass event to them on FB www.facebook.com/events/309114396133478/

antimatter I'm not on Facebook, are there any other petitions?
I quite like the idea of the sort of protest the Icelandic women held in the 70s, great majority just refused to turn up for work.
Writing to the Polish Embassy?
Feel so helpless, Polish living in France, argh.

here's petition

secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Chairman_of_the_Petitions_Committee_European_Parliament_B1047_BRUSSELS_Stop_the_torture_of_Polish_women/?exhXskb

An article today:

www.vice.com/en_uk/read/photos-from-the-london-protest-against-poland-restrictive-abortion-laws?utm_source=vicetwitteruk

I've signed. I can't believe this is happening.

There is another protest event - BlackRun.
I'm Polish and I can't believe this is happening. :((

#BLACKRUN is a protest against proposed stricter abortion law in Poland!

Hundreds of women will gather near London Bridge this Friday at 8pm to walk/run 3km towards Westminster as a protest against stricter abortion law in Poland!

No legal abortions “Stop Abortion” law introduce jail sentences of up to five years for causing “the death of a conceived child”. It would apply both to women seeking abortions and doctors and health professional carrying them out!

Please join us against the ban and show your support and solidarity with women in Poland!

30 September 2016; London Bridge @ 8pm. Please wear black!
Thank you!

www.facebook.com/events/309061779469792/