LGBTQ Protests
In February 2019, Warsaw's mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, signed a declaration supporting LGBTQ rights. Outraged, politicians opposed to this declaration established LGBTQ- free zones that have since been adopted in ⅓ of Poland. Recently, demonstrations in solidarity with the LGBTQ community have raised tensions. On August 7, 2020 the arrest of polish activist Małgorzata Szutowicz, more commonly known as Margot, began an international protest against Poland’s anti- LGBTQ agendas. Margot and the forty-eight others detained reported excessive police brutality including beatings, denial of food and water, and denial of council.
In Budapest, London, New York, Paris, Berlin and across Poland at least fifteen other protests were held in objection to Margot’s arrest as well as anti- LGBTQ legislation and brutaility. These protests have increased international attention with United States presidential candidate, Joe Biden, condemning LGBTQ free zones and Ursula von der Leyen, European commission president, stating that these resolutions did not belong in Europe. According to The Washington Post, the European Union has denied funding to multiple towns that are established “free-zones” and support anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
Abortion Rights Protests
Also a currently controversial topic in Poland, abortion rights. On October 22, Poland’s constitutional court ruled that the abortion of fetus’ with congential defects infringed on rights ensured by the Polish constitution. The court ruled that since the right to life is ensured in the Polish constitution, that the termination of a pregancy based on the health of the fetus was a forbidden form of discrimination. Once published, the prohibition of abortions resulting from birth defects further limits one of Europe’s strictest abortion laws. The new law would only allow for termination of pregancy resulting from rape or incest or those which threatened the woman’s life.
Since being announced, protests in Poland have reached record breaking highs with over 100,000 people opposing the restriction in over two weeks of protests. According to The Guardian, surveys reveal that much of the party’s voter base do not support tightening abortion restrictions. Originally set to publish November 2nd, the declaration has since been delayed.
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