Poland Vows to Defend Churches From Pro-Choice ‘Nihilists’
- Ruling-party fights back against protests over abortion ban
- Rage-fueled rebellion resonates beyond cities, analyst says
Tens of thousands of protesters blocked roads on Monday, halting traffic in major Polish cities.
Photographer: Wotek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images
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Poland’s most-powerful politician escalated a conflict over abortion rights by saying the country must defend churches from pro-choice protesters to ward off a civilizational threat.
The comments by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who heads the ruling Law & Justice party, risk further fanning tensions after six days of angry demonstrations triggered by a tightening of what are already some of Europe’s strictest restrictions on terminating pregnancies. He was responding after activists disrupted religious services and sprayed graffiti on shrines.