Solidarity protest in Lisbon over Poland abortion law

Around 300 protesters, mostly Polish men and women, gathered in the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Wednesday evening to show solidarity with a nationwide strike in Poland against a court ruling which effectively bans abortion.

The protest was joined by a few Portuguese nationals, and echoes similar protests which have taken place in other countries across Europe.

One Polish couple travelled several hours with their only child to take part in the demonstration in Lisbon.

Monika and Amadeusz live between Poland and Portugal, and are currently based in the southern Algarve region.

"I can't imagine they want to force women to give birth to children that will be dying or are already dead... women are speaking of (committing suicide) because of this law, because it's unbearable", Monika said.

According to activists, the new ruling tightens Poland's already restrictive abortion laws, and bans the option of terminating pregnancy in the country, even in the case of harmful fetal abnormality.

Poland's nationwide strike on Wednesday comes amid a deepening standoff between protesters who oppose last week's ruling and Poland's deeply conservative establishment.

Protests have been taking place daily since the constitutional court issued its decision, and have exposed deep divisions in Poland, which has long been a bastion of conservative Catholicism, despite recent social transformation.