I think that it's in the best interest of all Poles for the courts to be free from any ideology, as well as from any politicians - Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin said on Monday. He was referring to Jarosław Kaczyński's words who said that Polish courts are totally under the influence of LGBT ideology. Sasin said that Kaczyński may have been referring to analysis of certain rulings, but he didn't provide any concrete examples.

At a Sunday's family picnic in a village of Zbuczyn near Siedlce (Masovian Voivodeship), the chairman of the Law and Justice party was asked "what he intends to do with the so-called equality marches".

"We, as Poles, say no to this," a woman said.

"You see, the problem is that if was up to me, it would be obvious," Kaczyński replied.

"My late brother, Varsovian (Lech Kaczyński), when he was the mayor of Warsaw, he banned it. However, here the EU law comes into play. They would reverse our bans. As a matter of fact, courts would also reverse it because they are totally under the influence of this ideology," he added.

"There's another way, to smoothly play it down. In such a way that it doesn't destroy Polish culture and the Polish church. And that's what we're gonna fight for," Kaczyński said.

"Analysis of certain rulings"

Deputy PM Jacek Sasin was asked by TVN24 reporter at Monday's press conference what chairman Kaczyński had in mind saying that the courts are under the influence of LGBT ideology.

"I think it was about analysis of certain particular ruling," he replied. Asked exactly which rulings, he said that he wouldn't like to continue this topic at that press conference.

"We've met for different reason," he said.

Asked if he shares the opinion that the courts are totally influenced by LGBT ideology, Sasin said that "it's clear that the courts need reforms". He added: "I think that it's in the best interest of all Poles for the courts to be free from any ideology, as well as from any politicians".

Asked if he thinks that they aren't free, Sasin said that "it seems that they're not". "There are situations when the courts do not strictly adhere to the letter of the law, but try to achieve some other goals," Sasin said.

When Sasin was asked to provide at least one example of ruling pertaining to LGBT community, the secretary of state in PM's office, Łukasz Schreiber, took the floor.

"Mr Chairman's speech is out there (Kaczyński's). It's available to show in full and that's it. That comment speaks for itself," he said.

Equality March in Płock

More than a thousand people took part in the first pride parade held in the Polish city of Płock on Saturday (August 10). Politicians, including Robert Biedroń, one of Poland's first openly gay politicians, attended the parade, with the leader of the Wiosna (Spring) party calling for more legal protection for homosexuals.

The pro-LGBT supporters had to be protected by a cordon of armed police, with officers keeping a counter-protest, by groups opposed to gay rights, away from the pride marchers.

A Płock police spokeswoman told Reuters there were around 950 counter-protesters in total and that two people were detained. No serious incidents took place, the spokeswoman added, although there were a few scuffles with police.

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has made hostility to gays a central focus of its campaign ahead of October's general election, depicting LGBT rights as a dangerous foreign idea that undermines traditional values.

Critics say PiS has fomented anti-gay sentiment and helped lead the violence against the LGBT community in Poland.

A pride parade in the provincial city of Białystok in July was marred by violence after anti-gay protesters chased people through the streets and beat them.