Riot Police Secure Poland’s Top Court Amid Crisis

Riot police have been deployed outside Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal after the suspension of chief justice Bogdan Swieczkowski, intensifying a power struggle between the country’s centrist government and the nationalist opposition. The move prompted protests by supporters of the opposition Law and Justice party, with demonstrators seen praying and holding religious images at the court’s perimeter. The suspension was announced by Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who cited the need to restore the rule of law amid government claims that the court had ceased to function independently. President Karol Nawrocki returned abruptly to Warsaw to address the escalating situation. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek stated he has requested the lifting of legal immunity for both Swieczkowski and his deputy. The tribunal remains a focal point in an increasingly polarized political climate, with official court channels describing the day’s events as a 'coup d’état.' Authorities continue to monitor the tense standoff outside the court as the political standoff continues.