Europe

Poles hold large anti-government protest in favor of EU

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Opponents of Poland's conservative government march downtown streets to protest the country's direction under a conservative government that is accused of eroding the rule of law, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, May 7, 2016. The protest is also meant as a show of support for European values and the country's membership in the EU.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (The Associated Press)

Opponents of Poland's government march downtown streets to protest the country's direction under a conservative government that is accused of eroding the rule of law, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, May 7, 2016. The protest is also meant as a show of support for European values and the country's membership in the EU. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (The Associated Press)

Opponents of Poland's conservative government march downtown streets to protest the country's direction under a conservative government that is accused of eroding the rule of law, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, May 7, 2016. The protest is also meant as a show of support for European values and the country's membership in the EU.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (The Associated Press)

Thousands of people have gathered in central Warsaw to show their opposition to the policies of the conservative government whose policies they view as anti-democratic and harmful to Poland's position in the European Union.

The march Saturday was held under the motto "We are and will remain in Europe." It comes days after the 12th anniversary of Poland joining the EU.

The march was organized by the opposition party Civic Platform and the civic group Committee for the Defense of Democracy, known as KOD.

KOD was created in November, shortly after Law and Justice took power and began taking steps that have weakened the Constitutional Tribunal, moves that have been condemned by the EU and the Council of Europe. The organization has since organized a number of anti-government marches.