A March of a Thousand Gowns took place in Warsaw yesterday under the slogan „The right to independence, the right to Europe”. The march, organized by several organizations of legal professions, was a protest against the changes in the Polish judicial system, implemented by the government of the Law and Justice party.
The “March of a Thousand Gowns” took place yesterday in Warsaw. Judges and lawyers from all over Poland and Europe took part in the event held under the slogan “The right to independence. The right to Europe. ” Preceding the march, a press conference was held in the lobby of the Supreme Court in Warsaw. The march was organized by the associations of Polish judges, Iustitia, among others. Awaiting the march, individuals affected by the judiciary gathered in front of the Supreme Court building.
”We are here to protest against the pathology in the Polish judiciary system. These judges are legalizing this pathology. They are legalizing theft and lies, ever since 1944”- says participant in the march.
”If the district and appeal courts will continue to employ crime judges from the communist era in their management staff, not even the young generation will be able to make change”- says participant in the march.
The first president of the Supreme Court, Małgorzata Gersdorf, commented on the latest interview of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for Die Welt daily, in which he stated that in the 90s communist judges trained their successors and thus shaped them.
”Maybe Prime Minister Morawiecki was shaped this way by a communist preschool teacher in his youth”- says Małgorzata Gersdorf, First President of the Supreme Court.
This is not just a matter of Polish judges, prosecutors or lawyers. It is a matter for every citizen, as the European Union is based on the European constitutional tradition and we must defend it.
The judges participating in the March of the Thousand Gowns disagree with being associated with the judges from the communist era. The march passed from the Supreme Court to the Sejm. The participants stopped in front of the presidential palace to make an appeal to president Andrzej Duda. These protests are related to the recent amendment to court laws, which are currently being processed by the Senate.