This is what all of Poland is talking about today — Natalia Broniarczyk, an activist with the Abortion Dream Team — invited to Republika TV for a discussion on abortion with several other speakers, took an abortion pill in front of the people present in the studio and the viewers. “I am not committing any crime and I will live to see the end of this programme,” she said.
Wirtualna Polska talked to her after the programme and learned that this was a meticulously thought-out action. Przemek Gulda, journalist at Wirtualna Polska, asked her: “In connection with the real or quite false fears of many people about what happened to you after taking the “hormone bomb”, it is impossible not to start with the question: ‘How do you feel today?’”
Natalia replied: “Of course, I feel very good, normal, physically I am completely fine… I am a good example of this, which dispels the myths and nonsense that conservative circles spread on this subject.”
“How did it happen that you ended up on Republika TV, on a live programme?”
“I received an invitation, which, I can’t hide, surprised me a bit. I was afraid of provocation or other problems, so I made a condition: I wanted to know the exact lineup of people who would be appearing with me. When I got it, I decided to go there and participate.”
“Were you prepared from the beginning to take the pill?”
“Yes, I planned it, I was ready for it from the beginning. I didn’t see any contraindications and I wasn’t afraid of the consequences. Neither medically, nor in terms of ethical and media issues. I made the assumption that you only get to be on such a TV show once. And it is necessary to do something there so that it is the authorities who regret that they invited me, not that I regret going there.”
“How did you feel in the studio, seated between politicians with conservative views?”
“Very well. I had a plan and I wanted to follow it – I was going to speak clearly and consistently about the reality of abortion in Poland. I knew that if I gave facts, I would easily debunk myths and propaganda lies. Admittedly, at the beginning the presenter knocked me off my feet a bit, wanting to talk about the situation in the United States, but I was quickly able to transfer the conversation to Poland.”
“Are you satisfied with how the discussion went?”
“I think I made it quite clear that we can’t be embarrassed by talking about abortion if we ourselves are not ashamed of it. I have the impression that it was rather the other ladies who did not feel comfortable. This was evidenced, for example, by the way Agnieszka Wojciechowska van Heukelom of the Law and Justice Party said goodbye to me.”
“What did she say?”
On leaving the studio I said “goodbye,” to which she replied: “Never before have I spent so much time with a serial killer.”
“And then you showed her the middle finger, as all the media are trumpeting today?”
“I showed it, it’s true. But not exactly to her. It was indeed at just that same moment, but it was directed at someone else, who works at Republika TV — Adrian Stankowski. This is a man who has very often made statements on TVP and Republika TV in a way that I consider scandalous and very hurtful to many people. I could not look at him calmly, and since I am a very impulsive person, I showed him what I thought about his attitude and actions.
Today, after some time has passed, how do you evaluate what happened on the air of Republika TV?
I am satisfied. I showed that this is not a place for real debate. I proved that if the editors wanted to ridicule me and my views, they made a mistake.
What kind of reactions are you getting?
Various. What’s important to me is that I’ve managed — which doesn’t always happen — to break through the boundaries of my bubble and reach people who are cut off from the abortion message as well. This is very important.
And the lawsuits? Do you expect them?
The other ladies announced them already during the programme. So far, however, nothing has reached me. I am in constant contact with my lawyer, who reassures me. He says that I have not done anything illegal: “I did not give the trade name of the preparation, only its medical term, so there can be no accusation of illegal advertising.”
Informing about abortion is legal in Poland, so I did not break the law. I also know that scientific authorities, numerous laboratory studies, and the opinions of the World Health Organization stand behind me. Medical abortion pills are a scientifically recognised, safe way to end an unwanted pregnancy, the only one available in countries where, as in Poland, all other methods are banned. I’m glad that I was able to speak out about this, and that my words and what I did in the studio are still being repeated loudly by others to this day.
SOURCE: Wirtualna Polska, by Przemek Gulda, 16 April 2024