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After mass protests, Poland govt won’t back abortion ban

Women shout slogans during a demonstration at the Castle Square during a nationwide “Black Monday” strike to protest a legislative proposal for a total ban on abortion,  in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. Massive protests were held in the rain in the streets of Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw and elsewhere across the largely Catholic nation led by a conservative government. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)
Women shout slogans during a demonstration at the Castle Square during a nationwide “Black Monday” strike to protest a legislative proposal for a total ban on abortion, in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. Massive protests were held in the rain in the streets of Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw and elsewhere across the largely Catholic nation led by a conservative government. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) Women shout slogans during a demonstration at the Castle Square during a nationwide “Black Monday” strike to protest a legislative proposal for a total ban on abortion, in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. Massive protests were held in the rain in the streets of Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw and elsewhere across the largely Catholic nation led by a conservative government. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – A member of Poland’s conservative government says mass protests by women against a total abortion ban have been a lesson in “humility” for the country’s leadership and that “there will not be a total abortion ban.”

Jaroslaw Gowin, the minister of science and higher education, said the protests by women have “caused us to think and taught us humility.”

Meanwhile, the Senate speaker also said the upper house of parliament would not initiate any work on a bill that would further restrict Poland’s abortion law, already one of the most restrictive in Europe.

The comments appear to show that Poland’s conservative leadership will withhold support from the highly unpopular proposal to ban abortions, even in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is at risk.