A patriotic event organized by the residents of our county at their own expense was part of the tour promoting the most important legal act of the Republic of Poland, known as Tour de Konstytucja. Robert Hojda from the Congress of Civic Democratic Movements, together with lawyers, visits cities and towns across Poland to talk with Polish women and men about their inalienable rights.
In Gromadka, Robert Hojda was joined by judges Monika Frąckowiak, a Poznań judge who adjudicates at the Nowe Miasto and Wilda District Court and belongs to the Iustitia judges’ association. She took part in protests against the changes introduced to the judiciary by PiS, and by Waldemar Żurek, the legendary spokesperson for the former National Council of the Judiciary who fights for the independence of the courts. Prosecutor Maciej Prabucki of the Lex super omnia Prosecutors’ Association and Andrzej Stefański, chief coordinator for Regional Projects at the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, also attended the event in Gromadka.
The welcoming of the guests, the reading of the preamble and a short drama presented by the hosts made up the opening of the Constitution at the Picnic event in Gromadka. The event was held at the welcoming Care and Rehabilitation Centre. The meeting was hosted by Dariusz Sas.
The short drama written by Halina Gniewek, in which activist and one of the participants in the Bolesławiec Women’s Strike Kinga Gęsika-Biały played the role of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, aimed to present selected articles of the Constitution to the audience. From time to time, a man dressed as Pinocchio poked his long nose into these articles. During the presentation, three articles were selected, whose meaning and practical application were explained by the lawyers invited to the event. Judge Waldemar Żurek spoke about the freedom of citizens before the law.
– Everyone is equal before the law – Waldemar Żurek explained Article 32 of the Constitution. – If the prosecution questions one suspect but does not want to question another because it is afraid of him, is that equality before the law? Equality exists when everyone in our country is treated in the same way. If you drive drunk, you must be punished. Regardless of whether you are a prosecutor, farmer, judge or politician. Everyone must be treated alike – the judge said.
The meeting also included a question about the Local Government Charter of the Rights of the Family, created by Catholic fundamentalists from Ordo Iuris and adopted in Gromadka by the Council. Judge Monika Frąckowiak gave a more extensive answer. Maciej Prabucki spoke about Article 25 of the Constitution, concerning the equal rights of the church and other religious associations. After his statement, someone asked whether only the religious feelings of Catholics should receive special protection in Poland. Andrzej Stefański tried to answer that question, although rather vaguely.
After the official part, there were many individual conversations with the lawyers about the Constitution, rights in Poland and those who violate them, while a man with Pinocchio’s long nose moved among the people talking.