Polish Students Strike against Education Minister

"Going out onto the streets and protesting in a traditional manner is associated with risk, so for the moment we are focused on organising our actions online, in a safe manner," said Kozak. "For now, this is a warning strike, but we might escalate it if our request to dismiss the education minister is not heard."

During the week, students have been encouraged to show their disapproval of Czarnek online by displaying protest messages and badges on social media profiles, while also in parallel donating blood, collecting garbage during forest walks or supporting local restaurants. "Via these actions, we want to show that we care about the country, about what is happening here," Kozak explained.

On Wednesday, the peak of the action week, many students across the country (it's impossible to estimate numbers, say the organisers) simply abandoned their online classes and, in some cases, joined protest actions organised in their towns. In Warsaw, it was a climate strike march to the prime minister's office organised by Fridays for Future and supported by the Polish Women's Strike. Climate and other youth activists are worried about the consequences of a Polish veto of the next EU budget on the planet's future as well as on their own lives.

Kamil Kozak holds up a sign with the slogan of the student protest movement, 'un-Czarnek the education system'. Photo: Kamil Kozak Minister of homophobia

Czarnek has been met with strong opposition from students and teachers since he was appointed to the post in October.

The PiS politician was known for his infamous remarks on "LGBT ideology", which he claimed "comes from the same roots as Nazism", while its "supporters are not equal to normal people".

He has also made remarks...