Demonstration to be held outside Edinburgh parliament building following Poland's new abortion ban

More than 1,000 people have responded to an event in Edinburgh organised to protest against Poland’s new high court ruling that imposes a near-total ban on abortion.

The demonstration is due to take place outside the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh on Thursday at 5pm.

An event organised on Facebook by polish group Młodzi Razem Zagranica and Edinburgh Queer Collective has had more than 1,000 say that they will be attending the protest.

A post on the page reads: “There is no place for a barbaric law and for fanatic's cruel attack on our bodies, health, and life.

Signs made for a pro-choice protest in Glasgow in 2018 and a picture of a pro-choice activist dressed as a handmaid from the book and series The Handmaid's Tale. Demonstrators in Poland have been dressing as handmaids in the recent protests following the new ban. Picture: JPI Media

"Edinburgh and all of Scotland takes a strong stand against fundamentalism and politically motivated aggression towards people with uteri.

"Poles need our support in their fight for basic human rights.

“Join us on Thursday in front of the Scottish parliament to demand the Scottish parliament to support Polish women. We will also be introducing a motion declaring Scottish opposition to the inhumane treatment of women in Poland.”

The planned protest comes after a court ruling on Thursday, October 22 which banned almost all abortions - with exceptions only for cases of rape, incest, or where the mother's health is at risk.

Abortions carried out when the foetus is malformed, which accounted for 98 per cent of legal terminations last year, are now illegal.

Poland already had some of the most strict abortion laws in Europe.

The recent change in legislation has triggered outcry across the country and abroad.

Protesters are demanding that the court reverse itself and a growing number are also calling for liberalisation of the abortion law.

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