The first protest in my life!
Today, I attended the first protest in my life. I supported the “Pro-Choice Rally Against Abortion Ban in Poland!” in Berlin, Germany.
On Thursday, October 22, Poland’s highest court ruled that an existing law allowing the abortion of malformed fetuses was unconstitutional. Currently, there are fewer than 2,000 legal abortions a year in Poland. The vast majority take place because of malformed fetuses.
I decided to write this post not because I am particularly proud of myself. Let’s face it, actually, I should be pretty ashamed by this fact. In the past, there were other protests which were promoting my personal beliefs, values, and worldview. And yet, I did not march and advocate for the cause.
Never forget that a political, economical, or religious crisis will be enough to cast doubt on women’s rights. These rights will never be vested. You’ll have to stay vigilant your whole life. — Simone de Beauvoir
So what was different this time that I decided to team up with my life partner and my friends, create banners, and go to a rally just in the middle of the Covid 19 pandemic? Why did I decide to risk and be there?
- Freedom — Freedom is a fundamental human right. These days, however, I experience freedom as a privilege. Ever since I moved to Germany in 2013, I felt welcomed and never had a feeling that someone is trying to take away my rights. I am always trying to remember that others may consider it a luxury. As privileged people, we need to take the responsibility to use this privilege for a good cause. We cannot take it for granted. Today we are living in freedom and enjoy peace, however, it does not mean that it will last forever. The right to express disagreement with political decisions, anger, and in some moments even disgust is a right which we need to exercise in the same way we need to use our right to vote in the elections.
- Solidarity — I come from Poland, however, I left Poland over 7 years ago. Nevertheless, my roots are still there. My family and friends are still living there and might be impacted by the change in the law we were protesting against. I joined today’s protest to show my solidarity with them and show support for them and millions of women in Poland.
- Egoism — The decision about the change in law was made on the 22nd of October 2020 (last Thursday) and since that moment I feel very angry, upset, powerless, disappointed, enraged, absolutely pissed off! I simply knew (I am sure you recognize this feeling, we often call it a gut feeling) that if I won’t do it, if I stay home, I will regret it. I knew that, most probably for a long time, I won’t be able to look into the mirror because I will remember that I did not live up to my values.
Writing this post helps me to process this very emotional couple of days. I cannot believe that in 2020 we still need to fight (!) for fundamental human rights! We have to stay vigilant and constantly check those who are in power to decide about our lives. This is our responsibility.
I hope that this protest will have an impact and the decision-makers in Poland will wake up while there is still time.
