Polish activist acquitted of charges of assaulting police

A Polish court has acquitted a prominent senior citizen activist of charges she insulted and assaulted a police officer who tried to detain her during an anti-government protest last week

WARSAW, Poland -- A Polish court on Tuesday acquitted a prominent senior citizen activist of charges she insulted and assaulted a police officer who tried to detain her during an anti-government protest last week. The activist, Katarzyna Augustynek, has participated in many street demonstrations against the right-wing government, and has had several run-ins with police. According to a Polish media reports, the judge at the District Court in Warsaw said evidence indicated that Augustynek had been protesting peacefully. Gazeta Wyborcza daily said on its website the judge stressed that the constitution guarantees the right to protest. The judge also argued that there was no justification for the way police had treated Augustynek, who resisted detention during last week's protest.