Opposition lawmakers brought protests over a near-total ban on abortion in predominantly-Catholic Poland to the floor of parliament on Tuesday (October 27).
Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, from the opposition Lewica (Left), led a protest of other opposition members of the chamber wearing masks and t-shirts decorated with the lightning bolt symbol of the "Women's Strike" movement, which has been leading the protests.
They held up placards with slogans such as "This is war' and "Legalise abortion", before walking to the benches where lawmakers from the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, including PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, were sitting.
The protesting lawmakers began to chant "this is war" as deputy parliament speaker Ryszard Terlecki called for a break in the session and for security officers to come to the chamber.
Other opposition lawmakers linked arms and tried to stop the parliament security from intervening in the protest.
MPs from Civic Coalition shouted in Jarosław Kaczyński's direction "you've broken the abortion compromise". A video recorded by MP Aleksandra Gajewska shows former defence minister Antoni Macierewicz shouting back "you've done it yourselves". Another protesting lawmaker is heard in one of the videos shouting "Shame on you, Mr Chairman", and "go out there and face the people, tell them the truth that you're afraid of women"
Before the protest began, Terlecki, who is also a PiS politician, said members of the opposition were wearing symbols that resembled those of the Hitler Youth and the SS, referring to the Women's Strike lightning logo.
Five days of nationwide protests have followed a ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal last week that said abortion due to foetal abnormalities, for which the majority of legal abortions are performed in Poland, was unconstitutional.
Once the decision goes into effect, pregnancy termination will only be legal in Poland in the case of incest, rape or a threat to the mother's health.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters