In 28 cities: Protests for more liberal abortion rights in Poland

Demonstrations for more liberal abortion rights in Poland in over 20 cities As of October 23, 2026 • 7:13 a.m

Demonstrations for the liberalization of abortion laws took place in 28 Polish cities. Women's organizations accuse the liberal-conservative Tusk government of inaction.

Hundreds of young women and a few men in the pouring rain. In front of the Parliament in Warsaw. They have come to demand the right to abortion. “An abortion up to the twelfth week of pregnancy should be enshrined in the law for everyone,” says 19-year-old Marianne.

"And if life and health are at risk, then until the end of the pregnancy. That is what we need and nothing less." Many women have painted a red lightning bolt on their cheeks, the symbol of women's protests for many years. They shouted: "I think. I feel. I decide."

Prime Minister Tusk asked the vote of confidence in parliament and won - but the basic problem remains. more

There were protests all over Poland. In addition to Warsaw, also in Wroclaw, Bialystok, Katowice, Gdansk, Krakow, Lodz. According to Polish media, in a total of 28 cities. One of the protesters, 21-year-old Zosia, said: "Polish abortion law is one of the most restrictive in Europe. We cannot accept that," said Zosia. "If we want to be considered a modern, developed country, then it would have to be much more liberal."

16-year-old Ernest says: "A woman has no opportunity to make a decision. She cannot decide about her own body - about whether she wants to give birth to a child or not."

The woman is considered the first victim of the almost complete ban on abortion that has been in effect for a year. more

Currently, doctors in Poland are only allowed to perform an abortion in two situations: when there is a risk to the life and limb of the pregnant woman. And if a woman became pregnant as a result of a crime - i.e. rape or incest. In all other cases, medical staff can face up to three years in prison.

However, terminating your own pregnancy yourself is legal. But abortion pills are hardly legally available. And anyone who gives such medication to a woman or sends it by mail must also expect punishment. Because that is considered an aid to abortion.

Poland's parliament has voted to relax very strict abortion laws. more

That's why two aid organizations in Warsaw have now invented the so-called abortion tomato. A type of parcel machine where a woman can pick up the pills using a code. Justyna Wydrzynska from Abtok, the NGO that sets up the abortion machine, says: "It does not collect any digital data. There is no camera, you do not have to enter a telephone number. Picking up shipments from or leaving such a abortion machine there is not dangerous from the activists' point of view."

For this, the activists received strong criticism from pro-life organizations, the church and some doctors.

A more liberal abortion law could make makeshift solutions like the abortion machine unnecessary. The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had promised such easing in the 2023 election campaign. But that has not yet been achieved. Two years ago, a reform proposal failed in parliament.

This week there was a surprising new attempt - the Sejm approved two bills. The first stipulates that abortions and assistance with abortions up to the twelfth week will no longer be criminalized. The second will allow abortions in the future if the unborn child has severe malformations.

Because the Polish president has to sign it. It is considered unlikely in Poland that the national conservative head of state Karol Nawrocki will relax the abortion law. For women, that probably means continuing to wait and protest.

This topic in the program: tagessschau.de | Protests for liberal abortion rights | 10/23/26 | 0:40