- Title: 'Brexit can happen here', Poles demonstrate in support of EU membership
- Date: 10th October 2021
- Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (OCTOBER 10, 2021) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PROTESTING IN FRONT OF ROYAL CASTLE IN WARSAW WITH PHONES AND POLISH AND EU FLAGS (NIGHT SHOT) SIGN READING (English): "NO POLEXIT, YES PISEXIT" (REFERRING TO RULING LAW AND JUSTICE, OR PIS, PARTY) (NIGHT SHOT) PEOPLE APPLAUDING (NIGHT SHOT) PEOPLE CHEERING / PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF ROYAL CASTLE (NIGHT SHOT) (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) 59-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER, JANUSZ KUCZYNSKI, SAYING: "I am afraid that bad times may come back, since young people do not remember them because they cannot remember, they were not there at that time. They were bad times, there was simply no freedom, and what seems obvious to everyone right now, is not obvious at all." (NIGHT SHOT) PROTESTERS CHANTING (Polish): "THIS IS POLAND" (NIGHT SHOT) (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) 59-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER, JANUSZ KUCZYNSKI, SAYING: "It seems that just as Brexit suddenly became a fact that no one expected, the same may happen here." VARIOUS OF POLICE VANS PARKED OUTSIDE ROYAL CASTLE BEFORE PROTEST POLISH AND EU FLAGS FLYING PROTESTER WITH EU FLAG STANDING ON BRIDGE PEOPLE WALKING UP TO SQUARE IN FRONT OF CASTLE PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF ROYAL CASTLE PROTESTERS WITH EU AND LGBT FLAGS PROTESTERS FILLING SQUARE, CHANTING (Polish): "FREE EUROPEAN POLAND" PROTESTERS CHEERING (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) 50-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER, MACIEJ LEWANDOWSKI, SAYING: "The political reality that interests me is the European reality, but I am afraid that we are going somewhere related to Moscow, this is not the place where I see myself or my friends, family or children, no." (NIGHT SHOT) PROTESTERS CHANTING (Polish): "WE ARE STAYING"
- Embargoed: 24th October 2021 22:11
- Keywords: Constitutional Tribunal Donald Tusk EU law European Union Poland protests rule of law
- Location: WARSAW, POLAND
- City: WARSAW, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EYKQXJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:More than 100,000 Poles demonstrated on Sunday (October 10) in support of European Union membership after a court ruling that parts of EU law are incompatible with the constitution raised concerns the country could eventually leave the bloc.
According to the organisers, protests took place in over 100 towns and cities across Poland and several cities abroad, with 80,000-100,000 people gathering in the capital Warsaw alone, waving Polish and EU flags and shouting "we are staying".
"Just as Brexit suddenly became a fact, something no-one expected, the same thing can happen here," said Janusz Kuczynski, 59, standing in a street in Warsaw's historic district leading up to the Royal Castle.
Fellow protester Maciej Lewandowski, 50, said he was worried Poland was turning away from the "European reality" and would end up in a similar political situation to Russia.
Politicians across Europe voiced dismay at the ruling by Poland's Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday (October 7) which they saw as undercutting the legal pillar on which the 27-nation EU stands.
Poland's ruling Law and Justice party says it has no plans for a "Polexit", but Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said after the ruling each member state must be treated with respect and the EU should not be only "a grouping of those who are equal and more equal".
(Production: Kacper Pempel, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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