Law enforcement officers in Warsaw used tear gas and made 15 arrests during a protest on Thursday evening against a government decision that outlaws access to abortion in the event of fetal defects, spokesman for the police in the Polish capital, Sylwester Marczak, said on Friday
WARSAW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2020) Law enforcement officers in Warsaw used tear gas and made 15 arrests during a protest on Thursday evening against a government decision that outlaws access to abortion in the event of fetal defects, spokesman for the police in the Polish capital, Sylwester Marczak, said on Friday.
"In total, 15 people were detained. One of them has already been released," Marczak said at a press briefing.
According to the Warsaw police spokesman, law enforcement officers monitoring the protest came under attack as demonstrators began throwing projectiles.
"Unfortunately, we were faced with great aggression. Stones were thrown at police, meaning that physical force and tear gas were used. This was justified," Marczak said.
The police spokesman also noted that mass gatherings are currently banned in Poland as part of the European country's measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Since 1993, Poland allowed abortions only in the case of rape or incest, when the mother's life was threatened or when fetal defects were observed.
The vast majority of abortions in Poland - 1,074 out of the 1,100 performed in 2019 - were carried out due to the detection of fetal abnormalities, according to official data.
On Thursday, rights group Amnesty International said that the Polish Constitutional Tribunal's decision to forbid access to abortions in the event of fetal defects violates women's human rights.
