Demonstrators protest Poland signing ACTA agreement

photo - PAP/Pawel Supernak

The demonstrators, chanting “down with censorship” claim ACTA will significantly reduce the rights and freedom of internet users.

The protest was attended by liberal MP Janusz Palikot, who claimed that the international agreement is “about eliminating content that is politically inconvenient”.

Protests were also held in the south western city of Wroclaw.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed yesterday that the ACTA agreement will be signed by Poland's ambassador to Japan in Tokyo on 26 January.

Government spokesperson, Pawel Gras, said earlier this week that Poland will sign the agreement “but it is up to national parliaments to ratify it”.

At the weekend, the Anonymous cyber protest group hacked into the web site at the Prime Minister’s Office and digital and culture ministries, among other government sites.

The Anonymous group has released a statement warning: "Polish government – we are more powerful than you. We have a lot of your files and personal information. We warn you to exercise caution”.

PM Tusk said yesterday he would “not give in to blackmail”.

Censorship?

Protests were also held in Wroclaw and in Wloclawek on Tuesday.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), already signed by the United States among others, aims at imposing new criminal sanctions, and possible online censorship, say its opponents, in the name of copyright protection.

Musician Pawel Kukiz, lead signer of the band Piersi, has said the way that the Polish government had not consulted with those in the creative industries about its intention to sign the act was “like communism”.

“The communists always knew what was best for people,” he told the Dziennik Polska newspaper.

He blamed the high price of CDs in Poland in the 1990s for encouraging piracy in Poland and not file sharing sites. (pg)