Polish Ruling Party Leader to Meet With Journalists Amid Mass Protests in Warsaw

Polish ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski will meet with journalists to discuss media work in parliament, as Warsaw is seeing mass protests against new media restrictions proposed by the PiS, local media reported Saturday.

WARSAW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, several thousands took part in protests near the presidential palace in Warsaw in response to the PiS decision to limit media presence in the Polish parliament. The new media restrictions allow only a limited number of TV stations in Poland to record parliamentary sessions starting next year.

Kaczynski requested the Polish parliament’s upper house speaker Stanislaw Karczewski to organize a meeting with media representatives, which is expected to be held early on Sunday, the PAP news agency said, citing sources.

The leader of the PiS party reportedly was initially not happy about media restrictions rules.

On Friday, opposition Civic Platform member Michal Szczerbaan was removed from the lower house after criticizing the PiS for restrictions on media presence in the parliament. Opposition lawmakers then disrupted the session and the house speaker adjourned before convening members of parliament in a different room, where several laws were passed without electronic voting systems.

Opposition refused to recognize the session and protesters gathered near the Sejm. Clashes with police followed early on Saturday as PiS members, including party leader, left the building while escorted by security.