- Title: Thousands of Poles protest against judiciary reform
- Date: 19th July 2017
- Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (‪JULY 18, 2017‬) (REUTERS) PEOPLE PROTESTING AT THE FRONT OF THE POLISH PARLIAMENT, SHOUTING: (Polish) "Down witch the Duck (Kaczynski) - the dictator" SPEAKER AND PEOPLE SHOUTING: (Polish) "Go to the psychiatrist" POLICEMEN GUARDING THE PARLIAMENT, STANDING NEXT TO THE FENCE DECORATED WITH WHITE ROSES (SYMBOL OF THE ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTEST) VARIOUS PEOPLE SITTING ON THE STREET, BLOCKING PARLIAMENT'S EXIT PEOPLE STANDING AT ONE OF THE ENTRANCES OF PARLIAMENT PROTESTERS TALKING TO THE POLICE (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) PROTEST'S LEADER, PAWEL KASPRZAK, SAYING: "Tripartite separation of the powers and independence of the courts have been liquidated in Poland. There are votings ongoing at the moment which lead to the situation when the justice minister will nominate the Supreme Court's judges." VARIOUS PEOPLE PROTESTING AT THE FRONT OF PARLIAMENT POLICEMEN STANDING BY BARRIERS DECORATED WITH WHITE ROSES (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) OPPOSITION LAWMAKER, KAMILA GASIUK-PIHOWICZ, SAYING (ON STAGE): "This government fears only people's voice and we proved it many times." PEOPLE APPLAUDING, WAVING POLISH FLAGS PEOPLE PROTESTING AT THE FRONT OF THE POLISH PARLIAMENT, SHOUTING: (Polish) "You (Kaczynski) will go to the jail." (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) PROTESTER, PIOTR, SAYING: "I came today to defend free Poland and democracy and tripartite separation of the powers." (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) PROTESTER, MARCIN GOLASZEWSKI, SAYING: "We protest against this hypocritical game led by Law and Justice (party) and the president (Andrzej) Duda, who thinks he can fool the people by an amicable solution he proposed, which is a huge lie." (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) PROTESTER, ROBERT, SAYING: "We have the president who swore to all Poles to defend the constitution. And what is he doing today? He breaks it (the constitution)." (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) PROTESTER, MALGORZATA, SAYING: "We came to fight for freedom, free courts for us and for our children, because what is happening now is scandal and disgrace." PEOPLE HOLDING CANDLES AND SHOUTING (Polish): "Here is Poland" SPEAKER READING THE CONSTITUTION PEOPLE PROTESTING AT THE FRONT OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, HOLDING CANDLES AND SHOUTING: (Polish) "We want veto." PEOPLE HOLDING CANDLES AND SHOUTING: (Polish) "We want veto, free courts."
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2017 03:02
- Keywords: protest Supreme Court Warsaw judiciary parliament reform
- Location: WARSAW, POLAND
- City: WARSAW, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016QDT4CN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS NIGHT SHOTS
Several thousand people gathered in front of Warsaw's presidential palace in a peaceful protest against controversial judicial reforms on Tuesday night (July 18), holding candles before they moved to the parliament.
The parliament building has been cordoned off with barriers and guards since Sunday (July 16), when thousands protested against the Supreme Court legislation in the Polish capital and other cities.
Last Friday (July 14), parliament passed a law ending the terms of current members of the panel, the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), and giving parliament the power to choose 15 of its 25 members.
But President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday insisted that appointments of judges to the KRS should require a three-fifths majority in parliament, a condition that would make a bit more difficult for the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) and its partners to push through appointments to the panel on their own.
Opposition parties say shortening the judges' terms is unconstitutional. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None