Poles held demonstrations in cities across the country Friday to protest plans by the ruling party to push through laws that would give it greater control over the courts and the national election commission. The protesters rallied under the slogan "free courts, free elections, free Poland," after lawmakers voted earlier in the day to give preliminary approval to the changes. The ruling Law and Justice party has already pushed through two laws which have given it greater power over the Constitutional Tribunal and ordinary courts. The ruling party, however, says it is making needed reforms that have not been tackled yet since communism fell in 1989. It says the protests are the work of post-communist elites seeking to hold onto their privileges.

Source: ABC News November 24, 2017 20:45 UTC