QUASI-MILITANT DEMOCRACY AS A NEW FORM OF SACRED IN POLAND DURING THE CORONA CRISIS

This article aims to explore the political mythology created by the Polish government and its subservient organizations with an aim to legitimize quasi-militant democracy as a new form of sacred in the populist discourse during the pandemic. Drawing on theories of political myths and on intertextual qualitative document analysis, the research shows that the sacred appeared in political myths which proved to be an efficient means of gaining public support for all sorts of efforts that undermine democracy. The conspiracy myth established social divisions and produced effects along with the interrelated myths of the savior, unity, and the golden age. The government took on the role of a savior whose mission was to deliver Poles "the people" from the hostile "others" that put their lives and health at risk. Those who desire social and economic help and do not want to be excluded from the community, must submit to the yoke of the savior. The unity myth rested on the vision of Poles as the government's followers who exposed and reported transgressions for the good of the community. All the limitations to which Poles complied and the denunciatory actions they took were oriented towards the golden age of a strong state, providing social and economic security unique in the post-pandemic world.

POLICING ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS IN POLAND: BETWEEN ESCALATED FORCE AND NEGOTIATED MANAGEMENT

Namen raziskave je z evalvacijo mehanizmov nadzora množic omogočiti vpogled v procese javne interakcije med policijo in protivladnimi protestniki v času krize zaradi koronavirusa na Poljskem. V članku obravnavamo raziskovalno vprašanje: kje na kontinuumu antinomičnih idealnih tipov stopnjevanja uporabe sile in upravljanja s pogajanjem leži model delovanja policije na protivladnih protestih, ki ga je razvila poljska policija med pandemijo Covid-19. Raziskava se umešča med študije o delovanju policije na protestih in izhaja iz medbesedilne kvalitativne analize izjav policije in poročanja v medijih. Raziskava kaže, da je bilo delovanje policije na protestih bližje stopnjevanju uporabe sile. Vseeno pa je šlo za hibridni model, za katerega je bila značilna kombinacija elementov sile in pogajanja. Kar zadeva varstvo pravice do svobode mirnega zbiranja in strpnost policije do kršenja javnega reda, je bila ta konkretna oblika policijskega nadzora blizu stopnjevanju uporabe sile. Komunikacija med policijo in udeleženci shoda, obseg in način aretacij so precej natančno odražali oba modela. Ena razsežnost, tj. obseg in narava uporabljene sile, pa je kazala na upravljanje s pogajanjem.Alternate :This research aims to give insight into the processes of public interaction between the police and antigovernment protesters during the Coronavirus Crisis in Poland by evaluating crowd control mechanisms. It addresses the research question: where does the model of anti-government protest policing developed by the Polish Police during the Covid-19pandemic lie on a continuum of antinomic ideal types of escalated force and negotiated management? The research is embedded in studies on protest policing and draws on an intertextual qualitative analysis of police statements and media news. It shows that the policing of protests was closer to escalated force. However, a hybrid model was involved that combined elements of coercion and negotiation. In terms of protecting the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and police tolerance for community disruption, this particular form of policing is close to escalated force. Still, the communication between the police and the assembly participants, the extent and manner of the arrests closely mirrored both models. One dimension, the extent and nature of the force used, indicated negotiated management.