PHOTOS: Cracovians protest against internet surveillance

KOD internet joanna 07
(Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)

Yesterday several thousand Cracovians gathered on the Rynek to protest what they view as excessive internet surveillance by the government.

Demonstrators waved a host of flags along with slogans riffing on internet lingo and dystopian novels. Several commentators remarked upon a surprising variety of ages in the crowd, which, after speeches against current government policies, symbolically sang the national anthem and laid flowers by the statue of national poet hero Adam Mickiewicz.

Poland’s online media laws are some of the most invasive in Europe. Polish law requires telecom companies to retain metadata on its users and allows nine different law enforcement agencies (an exceptionally large number) to demand it. According to the digital rights group Panoptykon Foundation, nearly two million requests for user data are made by the government yearly, whereas in most EU countries it is less that half that number.

The event was organized by the Committee for the Defense of Democracy (KOD), their third recent demonstration following those against PiS changes to the constitutional court and the management of public media outlets.

KOD internet joanna 06
“[PiS leader] Jarek [Kaczyński]! Log out” / “According to PiS, the good variety of Pole is on his knees” / “My emails are boring” (Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)
KOD internet joanna 02
(Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)
KOD internet joanna 01
(Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)
KOD230116KP fred
(Fred Gijbels)
(Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)
(Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)
KOD internet joanna 05
“God has no party” (Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)
KOD internet joanna 03
(Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)
KOD internet joanna 09
(Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska)

19 thoughts on “PHOTOS: Cracovians protest against internet surveillance

  • January 24, 2016 at 9:37 pm
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    I m Polish and this is shit. KOD is the shittest !! listen anyone in Poland. THERE IS NO attack on democracy in Poland. The people in kod are stupid. there are sick

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    • January 24, 2016 at 11:14 pm
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      You have mental problem, if you insult someone with different political views.

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    • January 25, 2016 at 2:11 am
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      Nationalistic nazis are the shittiest. Just because you personally like what PiS is doing, doesn’t mean they are not breaking the law and constitution.
      I am Polish and there is attack on democracy in Poland. PiS is aiming to make iliberal democracy here (as they even said it) and their rule aims to be the same freedom and democracy that we had under communism, just different ideology.

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    • January 25, 2016 at 9:01 pm
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      Sorry but you are stupid.

      Reply
  • January 24, 2016 at 10:45 pm
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    These are not Cracovians. These are extreme leftists plus members of the former security apparatus accompanied by their respective business partners. The “security guards” are posted only for effect – they remind me of the “security guards” during the Marches of the Living – more there to protect the paranoia and self-importance of the participants than for any real security reason.

    This is the 1989 coalition. It’s hard not to think that this is a deflection action in response to Marian Kowalski’s allegations of PO-surveillance of Polish patriotic websites.

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  • January 25, 2016 at 12:12 am
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    Interesting …. this quotation from the article ” … nearly two million requests for user data are made by the government yearly, whereas in most EU countries it is less that half that number.” ACTUALLY refers to the periods when the previous PO-PSL led government was in charge of surveillance !! As the current PiS-led government has been in charge for only about 3 MONTHS ( Oct 25 2015 through January 24 2016), that means that the figures given refers ONLY to the previous government. I HOPE that KOD realises this! They are actually pointing the finger of “higher surveillance” at themselves! It will be very interesting indeed to see what the surveillance figures are for the first full year of PiS-led Polish government.

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    • January 27, 2016 at 10:53 pm
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      So to understand this…
      PO passes surveillance laws,
      PO surveils the Internet for years,
      PO loses election,
      there is ZERO proof that the Polish people are doing any surveilling now that PO is out of power
      but within a few months of the lost election PO protests the surveillance that’s allegedly taking place under the law that they’ve passed years ago and that they’ve used to surveil people for year?

      wow Im almost speechless

      Reply
  • January 25, 2016 at 12:46 am
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    To anyone interested in topic. Most of Polish people support our current government. It’s a bit hard to explain because it includes knowledge of our recent history and politics but I can say that KOD manifestations are mostly organized by coalition of former ruling parties which are strongly linked to postcommunists. I didn’t even vote for PiS but it has won in democratic process so all that bullshit screams from KOD members is worthless for people who have at least a little knowledge what’s going on in Poland.

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  • January 25, 2016 at 5:06 am
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    I could support this. Stop spying on people.

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  • January 25, 2016 at 6:40 am
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    I protested ACTA and I protest these changes. Some PIS supporters are still in honeymoon period, and PIS is smart to do all the bad changes while their supporters believe they can do nothing bad. But the changes are wrong and I’ll protest them. As for who is “REAL Pole”, “REAL Cracovian”, etc – fuck the haters. You don’t get to decide that.

    Reply
  • January 25, 2016 at 8:12 am
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    Under the old system a judge;’s permission was needed to look at this data and a record of this spying was kept. Under the new law no judge’s permission is needed and no record of the spying will be kept. In the hands of the current government this will be abused.

    Reply
  • January 25, 2016 at 12:06 pm
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    this is pure shit. this kod mafinestation is based on political establishment.they arent fighting freedom,they are fighting they own lucrative jobs.

    Reply
  • January 26, 2016 at 5:57 pm
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    Were These People Ahead of Their Time, or What?

    Leo Tallstory – War and PiS

    John Lenin and the Plastic Oh No Band – Give PiS a Chance

    Erma Franklin D Roosevelt – Take a Little PiS of My Heart

    Paul McCartski – Pipes of PiS

    Elvis Costellnik – (What’s so funny about) PiS, Love and Understanding?

    Exclusively White Band – Pick up the PiSes

    KOD Stevens – PiS Train

    Reply
    • January 27, 2016 at 10:57 pm
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      those do sound better than the “POstcommunists”

      Reply
      • January 28, 2016 at 5:03 pm
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        Fleetwood Mac – Tusk

        The Polish Clash – Szydlo Stay or Should I Go

        Reply
    • February 9, 2016 at 1:16 am
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      pis sounds more piss rather than peace, you moron.

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      • February 10, 2016 at 10:31 am
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        Moron? And how are things in Trollenstadt?

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  • April 12, 2016 at 1:39 pm
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    These people don’t look like they belong there…have they been hired? And this seems strange. Look at their faces, they are not genuine and not even Polish.
    Why is there a sign with Russian letters incorporated? It doesn’t even make sense. That’s a stupid thing to do.

    Reply
  • April 19, 2016 at 8:42 pm
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    I’m in the USA, and I don’t know who to believe.

    Reply

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