WARSAW: Opponents of Poland's new right-wing government are holding protests in a number of cities against policies which they say threaten democracy and media freedom.

The street protests Saturday are organised by the new group calling itself the Committee for the Protection of Democracy that rallied tens of thousands of Poles last month against the ruling Law and Justice party.

The protesters say that changes that the government made to bring a constitutional court and state broadcasters under government control threaten media freedom and democracy.

The moves have also alarmed some European Union leaders and the European Commission will debate Poland's rule of law on Wednesday.

The government argues it needs to reform some state bodies because they represent only the interests of the previous liberal ruling team.