Sunday saw the fourth straight day of demonstrations against a ruling from the Constitutional Tribunal which heralded a tightening of the country’s abortion laws, already among the toughest in the European Union.
Police said that officers that day issued 142 fines and filed 281 applications to courts for penalties to be imposed.
Mariusz Ciarka, a spokesman for Poland’s police chief, told public broadcaster Polish Radio that a total of 226 illegal gatherings of various sizes took place around the country on Sunday.
Activists staged protests including during church services in the capital Warsaw and other Polish cities, holding placards and handing out leaflets.
Further demonstrations are planned for Monday evening.
Krzysztof Sobolewski, an official from Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice party, condemned protestors who targeted churches.
“Temples are sacred places for Catholics... Temples were profaned. This is unacceptable," he said.
The demonstrations have been sparked by a ruling from Poland's Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday that abortion of a malformed foetus violates the constitution.
Gatherings of more than five people are forbidden under new rules aiming to limit the spread of the coronavirus epidemic that came into force on Saturday.
(pk)
Source: PAP