Polish president backs suspended judge as police detain protesters

Police detained three protesters during an overnight rally outside Poland's Constitutional Tribunal, which formed in response to the suspension of the court's president by the pro-European government. President Karol Nawrocki, an opponent of the Cabinet, cut short a trip to Senegal to return home over the situation. The suspension of court president Bogdan Święczkowski was announced Friday evening, prompting demonstrators, including opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński, to gather. Police said some protesters threw objects and attempted to breach a security fence. Nawrocki condemned a "breach of Poland's constitutional order" and called for an urgent parliamentary meeting. The dispute stems from long-standing tensions over judicial independence, with critics accusing the previous Law and Justice government of politicizing courts. Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government, in power since 2023, has pledged to restore rule of law, while Święczkowski, appointed under the prior administration, is accused of blocking lawfully elected judges.