Polish protesters target church masses over near-total abortion ban

By Alicja Ptak and Kuba Stezycki

WARSAW, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people protested during mass at Polish churches on Sunday against a court ruling that amounts to a near-total ban on abortion, with some spraying slogans on the buildings and others stringing up lines of black laundry.

It is first time protests have been held directly at churches, both inside and out, in the predominantly Catholic country where the Constitutional Court ruling has now triggered four days of demonstrations.

The ruling that abortions due to foetal defects were unconstitutional ends the most common of the few legal grounds left in Poland and sets the country further apart from the European mainstream.

Several dozen of protesters interrupted a mass in Poznan, in western Poland, chanting "we are sick of this" and holding banners such as "Catholic women also need their right to abortion" in front of the altar, state news agency PAP reported.

In Krakow, protesters hung black underwear and other clothes on lines between the trees, while in Lodz, central Poland, some 2,000 people gathered in front of the cathedral, private Radio Zet said. They chanted: "Separate the church from the state."

Activists across the country carried posters depicting a crucified pregnant woman. In Warsaw protesters sprayed "abortion without borders" at one of churches, according to PAP. At another church "you have blood on your hands" was daubed on the wall.

Some people give priests cards with a bolt symbol symbolising their protest instead of the traditional donation during mass.

"I'm here today because it annoys me that in a secular country the church decides for me what rights I have, what I can do and what I'm not allowed to do," said media worker Julia Miotk, 26, protesting in front of a church in Warsaw.

The leaders of the protests say that Poland's conservative ruling party, Law and Justice (PiS), used the court to change the policy to satisfy the influential Polish Roman Catholic Church. The party denies that.

Church authorities declined to comment. A spokesman for the government could not be reached immediately for comment.

The protests since Thursday night have taken place despite gatherings of more than five people being banned due to coronavirus restrictions. (Reporting by Alicja Ptak, Kuba Stezycki and Marcin Goclowski; Editing by Alison Williams)