Poles demonstrate for abortion rights

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2007

WARSAW (AFP) — More than 1,200 people marched in Warsaw on Sunday to urge changes to Poland's restrictive abortion laws and counter a bill to have a "right to life from the moment of conception" added to the country's constitution.

Rallied by feminist and leftwing organisations, the demonstrators gathered at a central Warsaw square brandishing banners calling for "abortions rights -- rights for women" and imploring parliament to "let us decide for ourselves."

They then marched to the Polish national assembly building, some two kilometres (1.2 miles) away.

Abortion is only allowed in Poland in cases of rape, incest, danger to the mother's life or irreversible malformation of the foetus. Breaking the law carries a two-year jail term.

Last week a...