Interior ministry wants to further restrict laws on public gatherings

Poland’s interior minister Mariusz Błaszczak said that he wants to amend the recently passed law on public assemblies to force organizers of illegal gatherings to pay for the costs of police work required to secure such protests. “I spoke with the government about changing the public assembly laws to charge those who say they will block legal gatherings. Because they are increasing the costs,” Błaszczak said. The interior minister announced such idea, the day after the anti-government protests held during the monthly commemorations of the Smoleńsk plane crash which killed President Lech Kaczyński and 95 others, including many top Polish officials. The event, organized by Lech’s twin brother Jarosław, is held each month on the 10^th. This month’s protests, while peaceful, attracted many anti-government protesters. They were separated from the official events by a barricade, dubbed in social media as “the Smoleńsk wall,” with hundreds of policemen securing the area. The law on public gatherings was passed earlier this year. It includes priority for Catholic Church and the government to organize such gatherings and the right for “government organizations” to block any gatherings. Moreover, it bans counter-rallies from taking place in the same place as public assemblies. According to Poland’s Supreme Court, which issued an opinion on the law’s draft version, called it “unconstitutional and in contrast with the rules of international law.”