Two weeks before parliamentary elections in Poland, around a million people demonstrated today against the policies of the right-wing nationalist party, PiS. This is the biggest demonstration in the history of Warsaw, a spokeswoman for the city administration told the Onet.pl portal.
Participants marched together through the center of Warsaw. Protesters carried signs that said “Enough is enough and we want change” and “Together we have strength”.
“March of a Million Hearts”
The liberal-conservative Citizens’ Coalition (KO), which emerged from the Citizens’ Platform, the former ruling party of opposition leader Donald Tusk, called for the “March of a Million Hearts”. The demonstration is also supported by the left-wing Lewica alliance.
AP/Rafal Oleksiewicz
“Nothing can stop this power,” said Tusk. “No one in the ranks of power above should have any illusions. This change is inevitable.”
At the start of the event, Tusk spoke of nearly a million participants; the PAP news agency, citing unofficial police information, reported nearly 100,000 protesters.
Elections in two weeks
Poland will elect a new parliament on October 15. In all polls carried out so far, the conservative national PiS, which has been in power since 2015, leads by a clear margin. However, it may need a coalition partner to form a government – and it will find that in the ultra-right Konfederacja.
Recently, government statements about a possible suspension of military aid to Ukraine caused anger. Furthermore, a scandal surrounding the illegal issuance of visas to migrants has endangered the right-wing conservative government, which advocates a tough migration policy.
The Tusk Citizens Coalition is in second place in the polls. She hopes to use the demonstration to mobilize enough people to win the parliamentary elections.