Hundreds of students in Warsaw and other Polish cities have taken part in marches against the country’s populist government.
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Hundreds of students in Warsaw and other Polish cities have taken part in marches against the country’s populist government.
They had a range of demands including better ties with European Union and complaints about a government-led overhaul of the education system which the students say is focusing more on history rather than science.
“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,” said one protester.
Ahead of the protests, the students issued a manifesto with their demands. They voiced opposition to an erosion of the independence of the judiciary, saying they want to live in a state that respects the constitutional rule of law and does not become isolated internationally.
Since coming to power in 2015, the ruling Law and Justice party has taken steps to build a more patriotic nation along the party’s conservative and Catholic lines.
Although some of its changes have put them at odds with liberal Poles, the party remains relatively popular among some student groups who said they did not share the opinions of those taking to the streets.
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oD_Europe</a> just published a good explainer on today’s student protests in Poland. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProtestStudentow?src=hash">#ProtestStudentow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KOD?src=hash">#KOD</a> <a href="https://t.co/UZq9nkwAuO">https://t.co/UZq9nkwAuO</a></p>— Maxim Edwards (MaximEdwards) January 25, 2017