‘Wake up, Poland!’: Thousands take to streets in Warsaw for antigovernment protest (PHOTOS)

Get short URL

Published time: September 30, 2012 06:59
Edited time: September 30, 2012 10:59

People demonstrate on September 29, 2012 in Warsaw against Poland's centrist government in a rally called by unions, an ultra-Catholic movement and politicians (AFP Photo / Janek Skarzynski)

Tags

Europe, Law, Opposition, Protest, Religion

Tens of thousands of people marched through the capital of Poland on Saturday in protest over government reforms and a new law that raises the retirement age, and in solidarity with the Catholic Church, which was recently stripped of its TV station.

Dubbed 'Wake Up, Poland,' the rally was organized by the country's conservative Law and Justice opposition party, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the trade union Solidarity and other groups. The event was Poland's biggest demonstration in several months.

Thousands of participants gather at mass before a march against government policies organized by main right-wing opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) and Solidarnosc trade union at Three Crosses Square in Warsaw September 29, 2012 (Reuters / Kacper Pempel)

Addressing protesters gathered in Warsaw's Castle Square, Kaczynski said that, “These huge crowds mean strength. They mean that Poland has awakened. More and more Poles will be awakening. The cup of evil has overflowed. We Poles, we Polish patriots say ‘no,’” Reuters reported.

A key issue for the protesters is a new retirement law enacted by the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk that will gradually raise the country's retirement age to 67, from 60 for women and 65 for men. The change will be phased in for men by 2020 and for women by 2040. Starting in 2013, the retirement age will be increased by three months every year. The law is the subject of furious public debate throughout the country.

A participant is seen with a taped mouth as a sign of a silent protest during a march against government policies organized by main right-wing opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) and Solidarnosc trade union in Warsaw September 29, 2012 (Reuters / Kacper Pempel)

Participants also expressed anger at a decision by the Polish National Broadcasting Council to strip a Catholic TV station, TV Trwam, of its right to broadcast digitally for free. Protesters claimed the move was a blow to freedom of expression and an attempt to silence their conservative Catholic worldview.

According to an AP report, the broadcasting council claimed the station lost its transmission rights because of a lack of transparency in its funding.

"Our presence here is a sign of opposition to the discrimination against Catholic media and TV Trwam," leading conservative politician Zbigniew Ziobro told protesters, the AP reported.

The rally was nonviolent, with many protesters singing patriotic and religious songs and holding up rosaries and portraits of the Virgin Mary. Before the protest march, a Catholic Mass was held at Three Crosses Square in downtown Warsaw.

Demonstrators hold Polish national flags during an opposition rally in Warsaw on September 29, 2012 (AFP Photo / Janek Skarzynski)

Participants hold a banner that reads "Free Media Free Poland" during a mass before a march against government policies organized by main right-wing opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) and Solidarnosc trade union in Warsaw September 29, 2012 (Reuters / Kacper Pempel)

A man demonstrates on September 29, 2012 in Warsaw with a cross, bearing the words: "We Demand Truth" about the April 10, 2010 plane crash in which Polish President Lech Kaczynski died (AFP Photo / Janek Skarzynski)

People hold Polish national flags and banners during a march against government policies organized by main right-wing opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) and Solidarnosc trade union in Warsaw September 29, 2012 (Reuters / Kacper Pempel)

Main opposition leader of Law and Justice party Jaroslaw Kaczynski (2nd L) walks after a mass before a march against government policies organized by main right-wing opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) and Solidarnosc trade union in Warsaw September 29, 2012 (Reuters / Kacper Pempel)

A boy holds a Polish national flag as thousands of participants gather at mass before a march against government policies organized by main right-wing opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) and Solidarnosc trade union at Three Crosses Square in Warsaw September 29, 2012 (Reuters / Kacper Pempel)

Priest Tadeusz Rydzyk (C), chairman of "Radio Maryja" and tv "Trwam," demonstrates on September 29, 2012 in Warsaw against Poland's centrist government in a rally called by unions, an ultra-Catholic movement and politicians (AFP Photo / Janek Skarzynski)

People hold on September 29, 2012 a banner, featuring late Polish President Lech Kaczynski and the slogan: "It Was a Coup," alluding to the April 10, 2010 plane crash in which the Polish leader died (AFP Photo / Janek Skarzynski)

Comments (45)

Tomasz 05.10.2012 06:05

You RT people are so stupid! Little do you know that these protestors want the truth about what happened in Smolensk in 2010. We all know Russia killed Polish President Kaczynski and nearly 100 others when his airplane tried landing. Tell the truth Putin!!

Undo

Pawel_Jpozwik (unregistered) 01.10.2012 09:32

ThomasPoland (unregistered) O ctober 01, 2012, 06:56 has written:
"Hello from Poland! "

Blah balh blah"
This is precisely one of the reason what the protest was about. Unrespectful, false portrail of large part of society as stupid, bigoted fanatics, by government and pro governmemt media. Their exclusion from national debate, taking away their right to be heard, taking away their media, ignoiring their demands.

That is precisly what led them to the streets.

Undo

Pawel _Jozwik (unregistered) 01.10.2012 09:17

Whoever wrote this article has no clue, what was the protest about! It was not against "pro market" reforms which government of Donald Tusk has no intent to do, nor has any idea how to do them.
The protest was about:
Scandalous neglecting of national interest of Poland;
Total incompetence in handling of Smolensk Tragedy, and servitude in this matter and many others to Russia;
Lack of governance;
S trait in face lies;
Corrupt ion scandals and insolent cover up of the guilty ones by the government.

Deterior ating democracy and democratic values, lack of respect to the citizens supporting the opposition;
G overnment use of justice system and police force to prosecute citizens opposing the ruling party and President;

Shutting down (in long run by limiting its audience) one of the few media
left, that is not in bed with the government, which is TV Trwam.

In fact, that was the main reason, why this protest was organized, to
defend TV Trwam, to whom the government controlled state media council,
refused to issue a license for broadcasting through digital multiplexer.
Of course that by itself, wouldn't be enough to
draw such crowd, if the government by its scandalous actions wasn't
causing so much grief in large part of society, or if it was doing good
job governing Poland and its citizens were respected and happy. But it
is not. The only reason Poland is doing fairly OK economically, is
because of the massive debt, that this government is running since it
got to power in 2007. But that can not be done forever.
Read more here: http://www.miamihera ld.com/2012/09/29/30 25692/thousands-of-p oles-protest-pro.htm l#storylink=cpy

Undo

View all comments (45)