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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/04/poland-hundreds-of-thousands-march-against-rightwing-populist-government>
"Hundreds of thousands of people have marched through central Warsaw to protest
against Poland’s rightwing populist government before a delicately poised
election due in the autumn.
The Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015, since when it has eroded
democratic norms, attacked the independent judiciary and launched campaigns
against the LGBTQ+ community and reproductive rights.
“We’re half a million here, it’s a record,” said Donald Tusk, the former prime
minister who leads the Civic Platform opposition grouping. He said the march on
Sunday had been the biggest political gathering since Poland regained
independence after the communist period.
There was no official confirmation of the size of the rally, though Warsaw’s
city hall also gave a 500,000 estimate, and central streets thronged with
crowds of protesters. The city’s metro was overwhelmed as people converged on
the centre. Many people waved Polish or EU flags and the mood was defiant but
often festive.
“The whole of Poland, the whole of Europe and the whole world sees how strong
we are and how we are ready to fight for democracy and freedom again, like we
did 30, 40 years ago,” Tusk told the crowds at the start of the rally.
Tusk, who served two terms as Poland’s prime minister from 2007 until 2014, has
returned to national politics after a five-year stint as president of the
European Council.
The march was convened to mark the 34th anniversary of an election in 1989, won
by a group linked to the Solidarity trade union movement, which proved a vital
moment in ending communist rule in Poland.
Although convened by Civic Platform, the march brought numerous opposition
groupings together, and banners among the crowd called for everything from
trans rights to trade union representation."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
