This photo essay is part of Right to Protest, a partnership project with human rights organisations CELS and INCLO, with support from the ACLU, examining the power of protest and its fundamental role in democratic society.
Poland 2016: women's protest against abortion laws
Image: Iga Lubczańska/Flickr. Some rights reserved.
A woman wears black at a ‘Czarny Protest’ (‘Black Protest’) to demonstrate against abortion laws in Opole, Poland. ‘No women, no kraj’ (‘No women, no country’ – 'kraj' is pronounced 'cry' in Polish) and ‘We are not your incubators’ were written on placards at the protest – one of several held across the country on 3 October 2016. The day became known as ‘Czarny Poniedziałek’ (‘Black Monday’), with thousands of women going on strike in opposition to the proposed legislation for a total ban on abortion. The protest was part of a larger campaign, in which people published selfies in black clothing on social media, using the tag #czarnyprotest. The protest was swiftly followed by a surge of similar demonstrations in Wrocław, Łódź and Kraków and other cities throughout Poland, attended by thousands. By 5 October, the parliamentary committee was advising MPs to vote down the bill, which they proceeded to do the following day.
