Pro and anti-government protests in Poland over EU and democracy

Pro and anti-government protests in Poland over EU and democracy

Poland’s opposition claims almost a quarter of a million people protested in Warsaw on Saturday against what they see as the government’s alienation from the EU and flouting of democratic rules.

This was the biggest of a wave of anti-government protests since the ruling eurosceptic Law and Justice party began tightening control over the country’s public broadcaster and highest court, following its landslide election victory last October.

The reforms have prompted an EU inquiry.

The latest rally, which its supporters claimed drew at least 200,000 people, was organised by the Committee for the Defence of Democracy and most opposition parties including the biggest one – the Civic Platform.

“We are here together today to say we will not allow the nightmare of authoritarian rule. We will not tolerate the violation of democracy, the violation of the rule of law, the violation of the Constitution. We won’t accept it,” said Civic Platform leader Grzegorz Schetyna.

The protest brought three counter-demonstrations organised by religious, conservative and nationalist groups, attracting much smaller numbers – an estimated 3,000-4,000 people.

Under the slogans “Poland has courage” and against “the dictatorship of Brussels”, they called on the government not to give in to what they describe as cliques who can’t come to terms with losing privileges they enjoyed under the previous administration.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-05-08