Poland: Protesters clash with police over sacked court chief

Protesters gathered outside Poland's Constitutional Court on Friday night, with authorities sending police to the scene to secure the court's grounds.

It all comes after a statement appeared on the top court's website saying President Bogdan Swieczkowski and his deputy had been suspended for one month. Fellow judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska will lead the institution during this period.

According to Warsaw police, officers responded to one judge who alerted them to possible threats to the safety of judges and staff.

Tusk vows to 'restore rule of law'

Swieczkowski is one of a slew of politically aligned judges who were appointed by the right-wing conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS), which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk backed the move in a post on X.

"Restoring the rule of law is our duty," Tusk said.

"After years of PiS-led lawlessness, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way," he added.

When Tusk's center-left alliance took over after the 2023 parliamentary election, the group announced it would reverse controversial PiS government reforms in the judiciary.

Riot police deployed to court

Dozens of riot police were deployed to the court as followers of PiS protested against the ousting of Swieczkowski through the evening.

The court's official X social media account said there had been a "coup d'etat," with some chanting "Tusk traitor" as they condemned the step taken by the Tusk government.

Polish president cancels trip abroad

Right-wing Polish President Karol Nawrocki reacted to the situation by canceling a planned trip to Senegal.

"At a moment like this, the president must be in Poland," Nawrocki said.

Upon returning to Poland, he entered the Constitutional Court, making his way through the police barricade, his chief of staff said early on Saturday.

"President Karol Nawrocki, accompanied by the First President of the Supreme Court, Zbigniew Kapinski, entered the Constitutional Tribunal building," Pawel Szefernaker wrote on X.

In recent months, Nawrocki had refused to swear in five top court judges nominated by parliament.

When these judges instead took their oath before parliament, Swieczkowski had denied them access to the building.