Poles demand president veto media law

Unexpectedly rushed through parliament on Friday (December 17), the legislation would tighten rules around foreign ownership of media, specifically affecting the ability of news channel TVN24, owned by U.S. media company Discovery Inc, to operate.

Warsaw mayor and leading opposition politician Rafal Trzaskowski told a crowd of thousands outside the presidential palace the bill was a step towards state censorship of the media, recalling Poland's communist past.

In Krakow in the south, opposition senator Bogdan Klich said the protests were not only about TVN but the future of democracy in Poland.

The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has long said that foreign media groups have too much power in the country and distort public debate.