Poles have been protesting non-stop after Constitutional Tribunal’s decision to ban abortion on the grounds of foetal malformations.

For the past week, mass protests were held in every part of the country, including rural areas. On Sunday, October 25, some protesters were spotted in churches, holding pro-abortion banners during Sunday Masses.  A day later, protests blocking the streets took place in multiple Polish cities.

A general strike on Wednesday caused many businesses to close down for a day as a sign of solidarity with the protesters. On Friday, October 30, a mass protest of the opponents of the ban is to happen in Warsaw, with possibly hundreds of thousands participants from all across the country in the streets of Polish capital.

At the same time, Poland is currently struggling with one of the highest rates of new diagnosed cases of COVID-19, with over 20 000 news infections registered on October 29, around 2 000 more than the day before. Polish government blames the protesters for the rise and already announced a harsh response to the situation in the streets. On Monday, October 26, Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, gave an order for the military gendarmerie to join police forces in the streets.