Polish abortion proposals draw protests

Proposals to tighten an already restrictive abortion law today drew thousands of people to protests in Poland.
The Catholic church, to which some 90 percent of Poles profess allegiance, backs the proposals being considered by the new right-wing government led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party.
Those proposals would tighten what are already some of Europe's most restrictive laws on pregnancy termination.
Current legislation, dating from 1993, already bans all terminations except when pregnancy results from rape or incest, poses a health risk to the mother, or if the foetus is severely deformed.
Pro-life activists support even tougher legislation but the move has sparked a backlash and today's protest saw marchers answer a call by a leftist party to rally outside parliament.

Other marches were taking place in several other cities.

Some carried wire coat hangers, a crude self-abort method, "used in the past by desperate women deprived of their rights to interrupt their pregnancy", organisers said.
Demonstrators bore aloft banners blasting the proposals and accusing authorities of turning Poland into "hell for women".
Some slogans urged Poles to "Make love not PiS".
However, a parish newsletter issued by bishops in favour of the tougher proposals met churchgoers attending Sunday mass.
New proposals would only allow abortion if the mother's life was in danger and lift maximum jail terms for those carrying out illegal terminations from the current two to five years.

PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Prime Minister Beata Szydlo both say they back a proposal which requires another 100,000 signatures for a parliamentary debate.
Feminist organisations say between 100,000 and 150,000 Poles arrange clandestine terminations abroad each year.
Legal abortions in the country of 38 million people are limited to between some 700 to 1,800 per year.