Tens of Thousands Protest in Poland Against Ex-ministers’ Imprisonment

One ex-minister described himself as a political prisoner and went on a hunger strike.

A woman holds a banner reading "Solidarity with Kaminski and Wasik" to protest in front of the Presidential Palace, where supporters of the Law and Justice (PiS) party take part in a demonstration in support of former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski and his deputy Maciej Wasik after their arrest, in Warsaw, on Jan. 10, 2024. Wojtek Radwanski//AFP via Getty Images

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters massed outside Poland’s Parliament on Thursday to protest against the new government’s changes to state media and the imprisonment of two former ministers convicted of abuse of power.

On Jan. 9, Polish police entered the presidential palace in Warsaw and arrested Mariusz Kaminski, former interior minister, and his deputy Maciej Wasik, both members of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party.