Poles flocked to city centers across the country on Sunday to defend a US-owned television network that is being targeted by the country’s right-wing government and to protect media freedom in a European Union nation where democratic norms are eroding, AFP reports.

Among the protesters were older Poles who decades ago resisted the country’s communist regime and who fear that the democracy that they helped usher in is now being lost. Many Poles believe Poland’s populist right-wing government is turning the country away from the West and adopting an authoritarian model closer to that of Turkey or Russia with attempts to exert political control over the courts and silence critical media.

Donald Tusk, the leader of the main opposition party, called on Poles to show solidarity and change their leadership.

“Let’s sweep this power away!” Tusk, a former Polish prime minister and a former EU president, told the crowd in Warsaw.

The protests were called after the parliament on Friday unexpectedly passed a bill that would force Discovery Inc to sell its controlling share of TVN, Poland’s largest television network.

The lower house of parliament had voted for it in the summer but it was vetoed by the Senate. Without any notice, the parliament suddenly brought the bill back and the lower house overrode the Senate’s veto.

The fate of the bill now lies with President Andrzej Duda. The main protest on Sunday took place in front of the presidential palace in Warsaw, with demonstrators demanding that Duda veto the bill.

Government leaders have defended the legislation by arguing that it is important for national security to ensure that no company outside Europe can control companies that help form public opinion.

A string of speakers on Sunday accused authorities of attacking Poland’s democratic foundations, and the crowds chanted “Free media!”

Jarosław Kurski, deputy editor of Gazeta Wyborcza, a liberal newspaper that has uncovered a string of government scandals and been sued many times by government allies, accused the ruling party of seeking to silence the media in order to steal Poland’s next elections, which are scheduled in 2023.

“The mafia has taken over the country. They want to master all elements of public life,” Kurski said.

Duda, who is allied with the ruling party, in the summer indicated that he would not support it, but on Friday he said he still needed to analyze it.

TVN launched an online petition Sunday calling on Duda to veto the bill, which by the evening was signed by 2 million people in the country of 38 million.

Earlier, US Department of State speaker Jalina Porter said that "the United States is troubled by the passage in Poland today of a law that would gravely weaken media freedom in that country."

"We also encourage (Polish) President (Andrzej) Duda to reaffirm his past statements in support of freedom of expression, the sanctity of contracts, and the shared values that underpin our relationship," she added.

"We also strongly encourage him to act on these values in regards to this legislation that, if it does become law in its current form, could severely impact media freedom as well as the foreign investment climate," she said.

In the opinion of the Press Club Polska council, the adoption by the Sejm of the amendment to the Broadcasting Act referred to as "lex TVN" constitutes "a violation of the freedom of the media in Poland". “We appeal to international organizations that defend freedom of speech to oppose "lex TVN" - stated the Journalism Society. Konfederacja Lewiatan, on the other hand, predicts that if the regulations come into force, the owner of the TVN group in the international arbitration may rule enormous damages.

According to the amendment, TV and radio licenses may be granted by the National Broadcasting Council to companies in which the capital share of entities from outside the European Economic Area amounts to a maximum of 49%.

Attention was drawn to the rapid pace of work on the amendment on Friday: the meeting of the culture and media committee was convened shortly after 12:30, and in the plenary hall it was voted after 14. “The procedure - or, in fact, the lack of any mode - of adopting the law is only the shameful culmination of the entire process aimed at the largest medium in Poland, independent of the government. This law was adopted with a gross violation of procedures, which was pointed out even by employees of the Legislative Office of the Sejm,” the Press Club Polska council commented.

It noted that the amendment does not only apply to TVN from the Discovery Group. “All editorial offices and media, whose work will not be liked by the authorities, are in danger. As today's events show, any regulations aimed at the indicated medium can be adopted,” the council believes. “We repeat the words we said in July: the amendment to the Broadcasting Act, aimed in fact at one broadcaster - TVN - is another example of instrumental treatment of the law by politicians in order to pursue their own interests,” the organization emphasized.

The management of TVN Discovery Group believes that the "lex TVN" passed by the Sejm is "an unprecedented attack on free media" and announces that it will "use all legal means" to defend its media. “We trust that President Andrzej Duda will veto “lex TVN” in accordance with his earlier announcements,” stated the company's management board.

In a statement issued after the Sejm passed the amendment to the Broadcasting Act referred to as "lex TVN", the management board commented also “these are actions aimed at the greatest and most important Polish ally, because the United States is the basis of Polish security and a large part of the Polish economy”. The company announced that "TVN Grupa Discovery and Discovery Inc. are determined to defend their investments in Poland and will use all legal means to continue the mission of our media in Poland”.