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I Documented How Women Protest The New Law That Bans Abortion In Poland (11 Pics)
Portraits of participants in the protest on the abortion ban In Szczecin, Poland from October 26th, 2020. Angered women and their supporters blocked rush-hour traffic in many cities of Poland.
Nationwide protests against a recent court ruling that tightened Poland’s restrictive abortion law further. The court effectively banned almost all abortions. The symbol of the fight against the new law was the sign of red lightning visible on the faces and masks of the participants.
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#1
Final score:
36points
Wolfstar 5 years ago
To all of the anti-abortion comments here: would you force a raped child, probably 12 or 13, to give up her childhood because she gave birth to a child? How would you feel, knowing that your childhood was stolen because of something that could have been prevented?
Aria Whitaker 5 years ago (edited)
The bigger question...why would you force a 13 year old child to carry her 58 year old rapist uncle's baby? That is what would happen if it is banned outright....
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#2
Final score:
29points
Jette Wang Wahnon 5 years ago
Women do not have an abortion just for the »fun« of it. It is a traumatic experience not to be forgotten.Women should have the right to decide what is best for them and be able to have the best possible help provided for them. I worked as a volunteer at a Maternity Hospital for several years in a EU country where abortion was forbidden until recently and where there still are restrictions to the procedure.Birth control was also forbidden.Not anymore,but low-income families struggle with the cost.Also the man in many cases think it is «sissy« to use a condom The coats hanger is nothing compared to a skinny 17 years old with broken razor blades up her uterus.Boyfriend threathened with killing her if she had the baby. Or the countless crochet/knitting needles.On asking why? many said,My mother did it and she was ok afterwards...A study was done on the subject of abortion in this country and it stated that in the course of their lives many had had up to 40 abortions in their life.
#4
Final score:
22points
Wolfstar 5 years ago (edited)
(First part) Before anyone makes anti-abortion comments, I'd like to say something. I am not here to draw you from your beliefs, I merely wish to share information from various health institutions. Many people consider abortion as murder. An example of murder is the killing of your sister, or perhaps a co-worker or friend. They are people, that is why we call an individual a person. A baby. A baby is a person that has been born. They are alive. During a miscarriage, the baby will be alive, but for a short amount of time. Still, they are alive. Now, a fetus. It is not alive. A fetus is an unborn child. Keyword: unborn. They are not alive. Apparently, some people believe a fertilized egg is a born person. If we can devote millions of dollars to save fertilized eggs, then why can't we devote millions of dollars to preventing miscarriages. People will attribute that to 'natural' causes. Would you call a miscarriage a murder? Hardly. Abortion, in some people's eyes, is murder. Yes, a miscarriage and an abortion are quite different, but in the end, the outcome is the same. The child will not be alive.
Wolfstar 5 years ago (edited)
(Continued 2) Abortion isn't murder, not when the fetus is unborn. It is not alive. Therefore, you are merely preventing the fetus from growing and developing. You are not killing the fetus as it is not alive. Now, I will address the fact that people seem to think we women have no control over our bodies. Are women slaves? No, we are not. We have our own free will and our personal desires. You do not own us, and you never will. You have no right to force us to do something we don't want to do, be it having a child or getting married. We have control over our own bodies, just as men do. We can do whatever we want with ourselves, such as getting knee surgery or getting blood drawn. Abortion is surgery. Should you treat it differently from a knee surgery? No, you shouldn't, as both can be beneficial to the patient. Many women get an abortion because they don't want to or cannot raise a child.
Load More Replies... #5
Final score:
21points
Jette Wang Wahnon 5 years ago
It is rather ironic that Poland now are tightening their abortion laws as in the 50ties-60ties Poland was the go-to country if you wanted an abortion.Lots of Scandinavians who did not have the abortion law yet went there.Apparently money was more important than Catholicism or the Solidarity Movement was a bigger problem for the government...just saying
#6
Final score:
20points
Wolfstar 5 years ago
I think this article will help. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/what-s-behind-the-red-lightning-bolt-the-main-symbol-of-poland-s-pro-choice-marches
Load More Replies... Wolfstar 5 years ago
I am honestly tired of explaining that abortion isn't murder. Instead, I'll address the fact that some people don't want to give women control over our own bodies. Are we your slaves? Do you own us? No, you don't, so you have no valid reason to force us to do something we don't want. In forcing us to do something we don't want to, you are basically treating us as mindless slaves who cannot think for themselves. I once had a friend who was raped. She got pregnant, and begged for an abortion. She was in Egypt doing charity work. The hospital did not allow her to get an abortion, so she was forced to give birth. She died moments after the baby was born. The child died a day later. Both of their deaths could've been prevented with abortion. My friend carried the child in her womb with no problem, no issues. But when she gave birth, everything fell apart because she wasn't allowed to make her own decisions. You do not own us. We are not your slaves. You do not own our bodies.
#7
Final score:
20points
Wolfstar 5 years ago
I don't understand why abortion is viewed as murder. It cannot be murder if the child is unborn, they are not alive. Many women get an abortion because they don't want to or cannot take care of the child. Some women get an abortion because they don't want the side effects that come with giving birth. Abortion can be beneficial to the unborn child and mother. What if the mother didn't have the resources to take care of her child? You'd be letting the child be born into poverty and suffer. The mother would have to watch her child suffer and be powerless to do anything about it. What if the mother wanted to finish her education first? She wouldn't be able to achieve her goals with a child. We women have control over our own bodies, it is not up to the government to decide what we get to do with ourselves. Not all women are Christians either, so you cannot force them to give birth because of a religion they don't follow. We do not belong to you. We are not your slaves. You do not own us.
#8
Final score:
19points
#9
Final score:
18points
#10
Final score:
17points
#11
Final score:
16points
JK Rowling 5 years ago
Nobody should be forced to carry and deliver a baby they don't want to. Pregnancy isn't just 'pop the baby out and you're done'. Having a kid is a humongous responsibility, financially and emotionally. Some people actually can't take that responsibility and it would just make them and the kid miserable.
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What do you think ?
Carole Deem 5 years ago
I notice that it seems to be the men making comments about how f****d up it is that women want to kill their babies. This isn't about killing babies, this is about women's rights.
Aragorn II Elessar 5 years ago
Guys, shut up. If you don’t have a uterus, you don’t have an opinion.
Anthony Goldstein (female) 5 years ago
Good for you! Also, to those trolls, you don't know the whole story. Maybe they can't give birth for a medical reason. Wouldn't letting them continue the pregnancy also be murder? Let Women have choice over their own bodies.
kat brando 5 years ago
why are people so invested in children who aren't even born yet rather than the children who have been born that are sitting in adoption centers waiting for someone to love them? or maybe the children who are dealing with abusive caretakers?? quite funny if you ask me lol
JK Rowling 5 years ago
You see, they don't actually care about the children. Because these unborn ones can be used to control someone else's body, that's the reason they care
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Jessica Raynor 5 years ago
Please leave me and my body alone. no one but myself should have the right to decide what to do with it in any stage. almost every government has told us women what we can an cannot do, it is time to stop. i am 36y.o female who cannot get her tubes tied because i dont have a husband to give permission, and when i do marry my husband may want children (so i have no say in the matter?!?) i may want another child (y only is 14y.o), and its a big decision and should not make this choice on my own... so i will be abstinent until menopause or take birth control (which i am lucky to be able to have). this is suchhhh a great world we live in.
Wolfstar 5 years ago
I love your comment. Men are the ones making laws on what we get to do with our bodies. They don't have a uterus, so they should have no say in it. They can support abortion, but really, women should be the ones making laws on reproductive rights. We women aren't slaves, no one owns us.
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Christophe Beunens 5 years ago
We are talking about embryos, not babies. A baby can live without being attached to another body. An embryo cannot! I do not support murdering babies, but I do support women who want the removal of an unwanted embryo... Many progressive countries have seen that it is better to have fewer children, but more children that are loved and have the possibility to grow, and most important : children that are wanted. Poland has unfortunately not seen this, and bases a lot of it's laws on a book that is 2000 years old. A book that has been used to find excuses for racism, discrimination of women and genocide (Jews killed Jesus, so it was ok for many centuries to treat jews badly)
Wolfstar 5 years ago
Thank you for this comment! Some people seem to believe that an embryo is equivalent to a living person. An embryo can't be living if it hasn't been born yet. And not a lot of Poles are religious, so I don't understand why they're basing their laws of of a 2000-year-old book.
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Paulina 5 years ago
Basically a symbol for female rebellion. A thunder that will strike the oppressive government, if you will.
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Helen Haley 5 years ago
Can't humanity just trust women to take care of their own bodies lives? You want to convince women not to have an abortion? Don't make it illegal (that won't work), work to make conditions that make having children favorable. You'll never stop abortions that occur to save the womans life or to spare the fetus pain, but you will gain far more toward your goals than screaming 'baby killer' at some stranger when you don't know their circumstances, their health and you should have zero say over what they do with their body. You really want a law deciding what you can do with your body? Pregnancy isn't a walk in the park. It leaves your body permanently changed in the best of circumstances and endangers your health and life in less than favorable circumstances. Why do you not trust women to do what is best?
kat brando 5 years ago
exactly! and not only that but people who say abortion is "murder", what if the woman has health issues (or even death) if she gives birth??? they care only about the child's life (that hasn't even been born yet) rather than the woman's. smh
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Le Box of Shame 5 years ago
in 20 years Poland will have the same outcome El Salvador and Romania had when they banned abortion. History does not look kindly on countries that ban abortion.
Carole Deem 5 years ago
I notice that it seems to be the men making comments about how f****d up it is that women want to kill their babies. This isn't about killing babies, this is about women's rights.
Aragorn II Elessar 5 years ago
Guys, shut up. If you don’t have a uterus, you don’t have an opinion.
Anthony Goldstein (female) 5 years ago
Good for you! Also, to those trolls, you don't know the whole story. Maybe they can't give birth for a medical reason. Wouldn't letting them continue the pregnancy also be murder? Let Women have choice over their own bodies.
kat brando 5 years ago
why are people so invested in children who aren't even born yet rather than the children who have been born that are sitting in adoption centers waiting for someone to love them? or maybe the children who are dealing with abusive caretakers?? quite funny if you ask me lol
JK Rowling 5 years ago
You see, they don't actually care about the children. Because these unborn ones can be used to control someone else's body, that's the reason they care
Load More Replies... Jessica Raynor 5 years ago
Please leave me and my body alone. no one but myself should have the right to decide what to do with it in any stage. almost every government has told us women what we can an cannot do, it is time to stop. i am 36y.o female who cannot get her tubes tied because i dont have a husband to give permission, and when i do marry my husband may want children (so i have no say in the matter?!?) i may want another child (y only is 14y.o), and its a big decision and should not make this choice on my own... so i will be abstinent until menopause or take birth control (which i am lucky to be able to have). this is suchhhh a great world we live in.
Wolfstar 5 years ago
I love your comment. Men are the ones making laws on what we get to do with our bodies. They don't have a uterus, so they should have no say in it. They can support abortion, but really, women should be the ones making laws on reproductive rights. We women aren't slaves, no one owns us.
Load More Replies... Christophe Beunens 5 years ago
We are talking about embryos, not babies. A baby can live without being attached to another body. An embryo cannot! I do not support murdering babies, but I do support women who want the removal of an unwanted embryo... Many progressive countries have seen that it is better to have fewer children, but more children that are loved and have the possibility to grow, and most important : children that are wanted. Poland has unfortunately not seen this, and bases a lot of it's laws on a book that is 2000 years old. A book that has been used to find excuses for racism, discrimination of women and genocide (Jews killed Jesus, so it was ok for many centuries to treat jews badly)
Wolfstar 5 years ago
Thank you for this comment! Some people seem to believe that an embryo is equivalent to a living person. An embryo can't be living if it hasn't been born yet. And not a lot of Poles are religious, so I don't understand why they're basing their laws of of a 2000-year-old book.
Load More Replies... Paulina 5 years ago
Basically a symbol for female rebellion. A thunder that will strike the oppressive government, if you will.
Load More Replies... Helen Haley 5 years ago
Can't humanity just trust women to take care of their own bodies lives? You want to convince women not to have an abortion? Don't make it illegal (that won't work), work to make conditions that make having children favorable. You'll never stop abortions that occur to save the womans life or to spare the fetus pain, but you will gain far more toward your goals than screaming 'baby killer' at some stranger when you don't know their circumstances, their health and you should have zero say over what they do with their body. You really want a law deciding what you can do with your body? Pregnancy isn't a walk in the park. It leaves your body permanently changed in the best of circumstances and endangers your health and life in less than favorable circumstances. Why do you not trust women to do what is best?
kat brando 5 years ago
exactly! and not only that but people who say abortion is "murder", what if the woman has health issues (or even death) if she gives birth??? they care only about the child's life (that hasn't even been born yet) rather than the woman's. smh
Load More Replies... Le Box of Shame 5 years ago
in 20 years Poland will have the same outcome El Salvador and Romania had when they banned abortion. History does not look kindly on countries that ban abortion.
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