Polish police clash with protesters over top court judge's suspension
Polish police clashed with protesters outside Poland's Constitutional Court on Friday night after the government suspended its president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, a move Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended as necessary to "restore the rule of law." The suspension, announced on the court's website, also affected Swieczkowski's deputy, with judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska temporarily leading the institution. Police responded after a judge reported potential safety threats, and dozens of riot police were deployed as Law and Justice Party (PiS) supporters protested, with some chanting "Tusk traitor." Swieczkowski was among judges appointed under the previous PiS government, which Tusk's alliance has sought to reform since taking power in 2023. President Karol Nawrocki canceled a trip abroad, returning to enter the court building through police barricades, while the court's social media account called the action a "coup d'etat."