On 30 March 2012, thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland for a large protest organised by the trade union NSZZ Solidarność. The demonstration was a response to the government’s plan to raise the retirement age to 67, which the union opposed as socially unjust and harmful to workers.
The rally brought together members of Solidarność from across the country, along with representatives of other labour and civic organisations. The protest also received open political support from the opposition party Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, PiS), whose leaders and MPs joined the demonstration outside parliament. Banners and speeches called for a national referendum on the reform and accused the ruling coalition of ignoring the will of ordinary citizens.
Participants waved the red-and-white flags of Solidarność and Polish national flags, chanting slogans demanding respect for workers’ rights and social dialogue. Loudspeakers broadcast union leaders’ speeches condemning economic inequality and calling for solidarity between generations. The presence of PiS politicians, including Jarosław Kaczyński, reinforced the protest’s political dimension and gave it significant media visibility.
Although the event remained peaceful, the tone was one of anger and defiance. The protest symbolised an unusual convergence between trade union activism and right-wing populist opposition, united by shared criticism of neoliberal reforms and government policies.
The demonstration of 30 March 2012 became one of the defining public mobilisations of that period — showing how economic grievances, social frustration, and political opposition could align in the streets of Warsaw under the banners of Solidarność and PiS.
