The Big March: Under this slogan, thousands of Poles demonstrated in Warsaw on Sunday against the ruling Law and Justice party. what is he talking about?
Many Poles see authoritarian tendencies in the PiS government – and there is growing concern about the continued existence of democracy. Therefore, a large influx of refugees was expected during Sunday’s protest in the center of the capital. According to the city council, to which the opposition mayor Rafal Trzaskowski of the opposition PO (Civic Platform) party is subordinate, 500,000 people attended and 50,000 people registered.
On the opposition TVN news channel’s morning program, clashes broke out between politicians from the ruling Law and Justice Party and the opposition PO party. The Law and Justice Party described the march as a „hate march” and criticized the event as anti-Polish. A video of actor Andrzej Seweryn calling for violence against PiS politicians has gone viral. on him He also noted country information broadcaster TVP Info.
„7 years of dictatorship” was written on some posters in Warsaw. In 2015, the Law and Justice party was elected, against which thousands of people are demonstrating in the capital today. pic.twitter.com/yGM22LZG6E
– ChiaraLeister June 4, 2023
The excitement in Warsaw was tangible even before the start of the demo. Many roads were closed, trams were delayed, many people traveled carrying the Polish national flag and the flag of the European Union.
Witold Mrozek, a contributor to Gazeta Wyborcza and a freelance writer for the Berliner Zeitung, mentioned that many underground stations were packed in the morning.
Mrozek is born
Demo in Warsaw: „All of Poland is looking at us, all of Europe is looking at us”
People from all over the country came to the demo. „All of Poland is looking at us, all of Europe is looking at us. We need to make democracy stronger. Poland is not lost yet. Come with us!” one of the demonstrators shouted into the microphone, We will win, we will win, we will win.
The demonstrators marched from Na Rozdruz Square through Alege Ogazdowski, Nowy Świat, Krakowski Przydeński, past the Presidential Palace to Sigismund’s Column on Castle Square.
Chiara Maria Lester
One protester told the Berliner Zeitung: „Today we are taking action against the Law and Justice party government.” She added that the right-wing party, which calls itself Law and Justice, is intolerant and violates Poland’s constitution. In addition, it has already circulated some laws that could be viewed critically in Polish society – such as the recent anti-Russian law, which, it is feared, is said to target opposition figures. But not only that: the Law and Justice party is not only against homosexuality, it has also toughened the ban on abortion.
„But the problem is not our President Andrzej Duda, but our Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.” However, most of her criticism was directed at the leader of the ruling party, Jaroslav Kaczynski. „Duda is just an agent of his decisions.”
European Union: Poland’s membership in danger?
The demonstration also wants to show that the country is fighting for membership in the European Union. So far, Poland has not received any aid to confront Corona from the European Union through the Law and Justice Party. „We have not received the money for covid construction because our judicial system still does not comply with the EU measures,” said the Polish woman.
Opposition politician Barbara Nowaca appealed to the crowd at the demonstration, saying, „We have to fight for our human rights.” Human rights must be respected and no one should be left out. Women’s rights, the free legal system, and EU rights are addressed. We want to trust our country again. We cannot accept that our state humiliates minorities. We have become a police state. We are afraid to talk about politics. It should not separate us, but bind us. Don’t be afraid of Brexit, we can do it.”
Opposition leader Donald Tusk had called for the demonstration. Tusk was the head of the Polish government from 2007 to 2014, and is considered a staunch political opponent of the powerful Law and Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The 66-year-old from Gdansk maintained close contact with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel and also tried to improve Poland’s relationship with Russia. So Law and Justice alternately accuses him of being subservient to Germany or the Kremlin.
the #Poland From the south, they raise banners that read „Against the Law and Justice Party.” They were, above all, the ones who voted for the right-wing party at that time. #mars4Czerwca pic.twitter.com/Yx1D9n3G0t
– ChiaraLeister June 4, 2023
On Monday, President Andrei Duda signed a controversial bill establishing a commission to investigate Russian interference. The law introduced by the Law and Justice Party appears to be specifically designed to discredit Tusk in the election campaign or even ban him from political life. The Polish media is talking about the „Lex Tusk” law – a law aimed at Tusk. The fact that Duda backtracked after harsh criticism from Brussels and Washington and announced changes to the law does not change the bad taste.
Tusk described the demonstration as „the biggest demonstration since 1989”. The date of the protest was not left to chance: on June 4, 1989, partial democratic elections were held in Poland for the first time. Until new elections this fall, it remains to be seen what effect the demonstration will have on democracy in Poland after nearly 35 years.
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