Updated

Opponents of Poland's populist government are staging a new protest in Warsaw, gathering outside the presidential palace in an appeal to the head of state to protect the young democracy's constitutional order from a series of government steps they deem anti-democratic.

Saturday's protest reflects rising political tension over ruling party policies under chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski and follows a large spontaneous demonstration Friday outside parliament.

The protests were sparked by a government plan to restrict the access of journalists to lawmakers in parliament.

In the biggest parliamentary crisis in years, opposition lawmakers protested that plan Friday, blocking a vote on the state budget. Governing party members then voted in another hall, which the opposition says was illegal. Opposition parties want a repeat vote.