Marches for Life and Family were being staged in over 140 cities across Poland on Sunday.

The demonstrations were being staged under the slogan “Every life is priceless.” The participants demanded the protection of human life from the moment of fertilisation.

They also collected signatures for a so-called citizen’s bill calling for a complete ban on abortion.

Poland’s current abortion laws, which have been in place since 1993, only allow the procedure if a woman's life or health is jeopardised by the continuation of a pregnancy, if the pregnancy is a result of a criminal act such as rape or incest, or if the foetus is seriously malformed. The abortion must be carried out within the first 25 weeks of the pregnancy.

However, NGO the PRO Foundation (Fundacja Pro) has been gathering signatures for a total ban as part of a citizen's bill. If 100,000 signatures are gathered, the draft legislation can be submitted to parliament.

Last month, thousands gathered outside Poland's lower house of parliament to protest against a potential complete ban on abortion.

15 May marks the International Day of Families, established by the UN General Assembly in 1993. (ał/pk)

Source: IAR