Opposition supporters, numbering in the tens of thousands, gathered outside Poland’s parliament on Thursday to voice their opposition to the new government’s alterations to state media and the imprisonment of two former ministers found guilty of abuse of power. This sizable march underscores the escalating tensions within the country, particularly as the pro-European Union coalition government, led by Donald Tusk, endeavors to reverse the policies implemented by the preceding nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party administration.
The protest coincided with President Andrzej Duda, an ally of PiS, announcing on Thursday that he had initiated proceedings to pardon the two former ministers from the previous government recently convicted for abuse of power. This move further intensified the standoff between President Duda and the new government. Amid the sea of red and white Polish flags outside the parliament, protesters held placards bearing slogans like “Tusk=5th column” and “We survived the Russians, we’ll survive Tusk.” The crowd, animated and vocal, also chanted President Duda’s name along with slogans expressing determination such as “We will win!”
During the demonstration, PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski addressed the crowd, emphasizing the need to prevail in what he referred to as a “great battle for a sovereign, independent Poland.” The diverse expressions of dissent, from flags to placards and chants, captured the multifaceted nature of the opposition’s concerns and sentiments as they rallied against perceived threats to Poland’s sovereignty and independence.
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