Hollywood A-lister George Clooney hails Poland’s ‘courage’ in fight for democracy
Clooney said that “democracy does not happen by chance” but is something that “lives and breathes.” (PAP)
Clooney said that “democracy does not happen by chance” but is something that “lives and breathes.” (PAP)
Hollywood superstar George Clooney hailed Poland’s “courage” in fighting for democracy as he delivered the main speech at a top conference in Łódź.
The actor was the prime attraction at the Freedom Games festival, where he described himself as a defender of democratic values and an opponent of terror.
A prominent donor to the Democratic Party in the United States, Clooney is a human rights activist and an outspoken critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, who once called him a “fake movie actor.”
During his Łódź speech, Clooney said that “democracy does not happen by chance” but is something that “lives and breathes” and needs to be defended with “courage.”
People in Poland and other former eastern bloc states—which survived decades of domination by the Soviet Union—are acutely aware that “nothing is guaranteed,” he said.
Clooney, who has starred in films such as “Ocean’s Eleven” and its sequels, also addressed life in the U.S. under Trump, whose second term started in January.
The president’s domestic agenda has included controversial moves to send armed forces into Democrat-run cities amid protests against large-scale deportation raids targeting migrants.
“My country is going through a kind a schism at the moment,” he said, adding that there are “ups and downs” in the progress of democracy.
‘Kocham Łódź!’
The Oscar-winning star was welcomed on stage by Łódź mayor Hanna Zdanowska, who described him as “not only an outstanding actor and director, but also a brave voice in defense of human rights and freedom.”
Along with his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, the actor runs the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which provides legal aid to those fighting for free speech and women’s rights.
