Poles continue to oppose the govenrment through protest

Peaceful Assembly

In January 2017, student-led protests were held in major cities throughout Poland. The protests remained peaceful with no reports of any incidents. Hundreds of students and young people gathered to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the current government and its policies. One young protester told EuroNews,

“We are here because we do not agree with what is happening in our country. With what the government is doing to press freedom, to the Constitutional Court or with the reform of education”.

On 8th March 2017, thousands of women mobilised over the government's strict stance on abortion and reproductive rights. The protests had been ongoing for several weeks after the Sejm (Parliament) passed a law in February 2017 limiting a woman's access to emergency contraception. The battle over women's reproductive rights in Poland has been the focal point of mass protests and social media campaigns since the government tried to pass a ban on all abortions in 2016. 

On 18th March 2017, several peaceful demonstrations took place in Poland, gathering about 500 to 1,000 people. The agendas for the protests centred on the government's proposed changes to the judiciary. Another group gathered to express their views over the country's current immigration policy and anti-racism, pro-refugee marches were held in Warsaw and other cities.