THIS WON’T STAND

Workers Strike Nationwide in Devoutly Catholic Poland Over Near-Total Abortion Ban

Poland, which is predominantly Catholic, already had some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe.

Last week, Poland’s top court struck down a law that allowed abortion of fetuses with congenital defects. On Wednesday, workers across the country united in a general strike against the decision, which amounts to a near-total abortion ban. Poland, which is predominantly Catholic, has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe and the scrubbed law was one of the few existing loopholes that gave women access to safe and legal abortions. A group called The Women’s Strike has been leading the opposition to the ruling, and on Wednesday organized a mass strike that was endorsed by the mayors of two of Poland’s biggest cities, Warsaw and Krakow. Last Sunday, women entered churches to disrupt Masses, confront priests, and leave graffiti on church buildings.