Prague clashed over abortion: 'I am not an incubator,' women chanted in the streets. Should the state decide about their bodies or should they decide?
On Saturday, the centre of Prague was transformed into a space where two ideas of the world collided. On the one hand, the March for Life, which has been convened by the Movement for Life for more than two decades and which this year once again attracted families, believers and people talking about the protection of unborn children. On the other, the colourful, noisy and deliberately provocative "Prague is Feminist" protest, which has become a response to what its participants perceive as an effort to limit women's autonomy.
This year was quieter than last year. The police were more visible, more prepared, the march was divided into smaller groups, and the clashes remained mostly about words. Still, there was a tension in the air that cannot be overlooked or dismissed as an annual ritual. For the abortion debate is once again returning to the public sphere - and with it a question that seems simple but in fact divides society perhaps more than ever: who should have the last word.
It's not just about abortion. It's about power.
The slogans that rang out in the streets were in some ways almost banally familiar. "My body, my choice." "Women's rights are human rights." Or, conversely, the emphasis on protecting life from conception. But that repetitiveness is both the strength and the problem with the whole debate.
It's not really just about abortion. It's about who has the right to make decisions about a woman's body. Whether it is the state, society, the church or herself.
The arguments of abortion opponents are often based on the moral conviction that life begins at conception and that it must be protected. This is a legitimate view that has its place in a pluralistic society. The problem arises when it becomes a political pressure to restrict the rights of others.
Because while beliefs are personal, legislation is collective. And it is the latter that decides what the reality of women who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies will look like.
The symbol of the hanger is not an exaggeration. It is historically accurate
Wire hangers reappeared at Saturday's protest. For some, perhaps an unnecessarily radical symbol. For others, a reminder of a reality that is not as distant as we would like to think.
History is relentless in this regard. In countries where access to safe abortion is restricted, abortion will not disappear. They will just move underground. And with it, health complications, deaths and long-term trauma increase.
The abortion debate is thus not an abstract moral dilemma, but a question of public health, social reality and safety. This is why the feminist movement has long stressed that access to safe termination of pregnancy is not a "privilege" but an essential part of health care.
Supporting women does not mean restricting their choice
March for Life representatives repeatedly stress that they want to help women. They talk about social support, more affordable housing, financial stability for families. Surprisingly, both sides agree that conditions for parenthood in the Czech Republic are not ideal and deserve more attention from the state.
But the aid has a crucial condition: it must be truly voluntary. Supporting a woman cannot mean taking away her ability to make a different choice. It cannot be based on the assumption that there is only one 'right' choice. And it certainly cannot be used as a tool to push a woman into a decision that is not hers. The right to abortion is not in conflict with supporting motherhood. On the contrary. Real support begins the moment a woman knows she has a choice.
Prague as a litmus test
What happened on the streets of Prague is not an isolated event. Rights that seemed self-evident are once again the subject of political struggle.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic is in a different situation. Abortion is legal and relatively accessible. But that does not mean that the debate cannot shift. On the contrary, pressure for change can come subtly, gradually, through partial restrictions, administrative obstacles or a change in the social climate.
Saturday's protest was thus not just a reaction to one march, but also a preemptive signal. A warning that the rights we have are not automatic or permanent.
Feminism as defence, not attack
The word "feminism" is still loaded in the Czech space. It is often perceived as something radical, aggressive, detached from reality. But when one looks at what actually happened on Saturday, the picture is different.
A colourful carnival, music, banners, but also very specific demands. The right to make decisions about one's own body. Accessible health care. Decent living conditions.
This is not an attack on society, but its basic defence. Because the moment the debate starts about whether or not a woman can decide about her pregnancy, it is not just about one particular issue. It is a matter of principle. It is about whether we are going to live in a society where the individual is in control of his or her own life, or where others are in control.
And that is perhaps the greatest significance of the Sabbath. Not in the number of participants, not in the volume of slogans chanted, but in the reminder that freedom is not a given. Not even in Prague.
