Poles protest across the country to defend media freedom

By VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poles flocked to city centers across the country to defend a U.S.-owned television network that is being targeted by the right-wing government. The protests Sunday evening are seeking to protect media freedom in a European Union nation where democratic norms are eroding. The protests were called after the parliament on Friday unexpectedly passed a bill that would force Discovery Inc. to sell its controlling share of TVN, Poland’s largest television network. The fate of the bill now lies with President Andrzej Duda. The main protest Sunday was in front of the presidential palace in Warsaw. The U.S. charge d’affaires, Bix Aliu, said the U.S. was “extremely disappointed” by the passage of the bill and urged Duda “to protect free speech and business.”