Thousands of protestors gathered in Poland on the 34th anniversary of the country’s first post-war democratic election, a march billed as a litmus test for the liberal opposition’s capacity to overthrow nearly eight years of nationalist government later this year.
The massive anti-government march in Warsaw on Sunday drew people from all around the country to express their displeasure with the right-wing leadership.
Crowds gathered in Krakow and other towns throughout the 38-million-strong country, expressing dissatisfaction with a government that critics accuse of breaking the constitution and eroding fundamental rights in a country that has long been praised as an example of peaceful and democratic reform.
Some held masks of ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski that had the word “shame” written on them. Organisers said one million people were marching, but police and city officials did not give an estimate.
“I took part in many marches but I’ve never seen a protest of this size with such energy. I feel this is a breakthrough like [the] June 4, 1989 [democratic election] was,” Jacek Gwozdz, 51, an IT specialist from Nowy Sacz, said in Warsaw.
Opinion polls show an election due after the summer will be closely fought, with Russia’s war in neighbouring Ukraine giving a boost to the Law and Justice government, which has emerged as a leading voice against the Kremlin in Europe.
The opposition has struggled to galvanise support despite widespread criticism at home and abroad of the PiS, which has been accused of eroding the rule of law, turning state media into a government mouthpiece, and endorsing homophobia.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s government denies subverting any democratic norms and says its aim is to protect traditional Christian values against liberal pressures from the West and to make the economy more fair.
