Poles stage new protests over proposed abortion restrictions

WARSAW, Poland — Polish women put black clothes on and returned to the streets Sunday, launching another round of protests against efforts by conservative leaders to tighten Poland’s already restrictive abortion law.

A large group gathered outside the parliament building in Warsaw, decrying the Catholic Church’s influence on political life. Similar protests took place in other Polish cities.

Similar protests took place earlier this month against a proposal for a total ban on abortion. But lawmakers rejected that proposal after massive crowds of women dressed in black staged protests.

The latest demonstrations were organized after a new proposal that would fall short of a total ban, but outlaw abortions in cases where fetuses aren’t viable or are badly damaged.