Polish police secure top court during standoff over suspended judges

Polish police surrounded and secured Poland's Constitutional Tribunal as protests erupted over a political standoff in Warsaw, according to BBC News, The Washington Post, and Sky News. The tension escalated after the government suspended two senior justices and moved to bring criminal charges against them, BBC News reported. [1][2][4]

Riot police were deployed to prevent demonstrators from entering the court building, BBC News reported. President Karol Nawrocki, who is supported by the Law and Justice party, entered the constitutional court, according to his chief of staff. Nawrocki cancelled a trip to Senegal mid-air while traveling to the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar so he could return to address the confrontation, BBC News and Around Prague reported. [1][5]

In a social media post, the Constitutional Court stated that the two judges targeted for prosecution remained the legally appointed senior justices. The court added that anyone participating in the actions against the justices was committing the crime of a coup d'etat, according to BBC News. [1]

Prime Minister Donald Tusk ordered the Polish police to enter the tribunal on 30 October 2026. Opposition groups described the government's actions as an attempted coup d'etat. [9]