Thousands took to the streets: Poles protest against the new broadcasting law

Thousands of people in Poland protested against a new broadcasting law. It is indirectly directed against TVN, a broadcaster important to the government, which is part of an American conglomerate. However, President Duda could still block the law.

Thousands took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the new broadcasting law in Poland. From the point of view of critics, this could have limited the freedom of the press. Protesters carried posters with slogans such as “free media, free people, free Poland” and “we have the right to the truth”.

In Warsaw, protesters gathered in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Leader of the Opposition Donald Tusk called on the crowd to work towards a change of government. Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski warned that the Internet would soon be censored and that the last non-governmental sources of information in Poland would be shut down.

Rallies were also held in Gdansk, Szczecin, Pozna, Kraków and many other cities. The police and the organizers did not reveal the exact number of participants.

The law gave anti-government broadcaster TVN. hit the

Parliament passed the amended law on Friday. In the future, broadcasting licenses will only be allowed to be issued to foreigners if they have their headquarters or residence in the European Economic Area. Further, the licensee should not be dependent on any person having its headquarters or a resident outside it.

According to critics, the law targets private broadcaster TVN, which is part of US conglomerate Discovery through a holding company registered in the Netherlands. Politicians from the ruling PiS party accused TVN of spreading Lukashenko propaganda while reporting on the crisis on the eastern border.

President Duda is considering a veto

Officially, the Polish government argues that the law serves to protect national security. It must be ensured that no company outside Europe controls opinion-forming media in Poland. The decision now rests with President Andrzej Duda. He has indicated that he may veto the law.

The US government also sharply criticized the new law. The State Department in Washington said it was “deeply concerned” about fragments that “undermine freedom of expression, undermine freedom of the press and undermine foreign investors’ confidence in their property rights.” ” The US encouraged Duda to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.