Protests against attacks on Ukrainians took place in 22 cities across Poland
On Sunday, August 9, demonstrations were held in 22 Polish cities against the rise in violence targeting Ukrainians and others who face persecution because of their background.
The slogan for the nationwide protests was “Don’t Be Indifferent.” In most cities, the demonstrations began after 5:00 p.m.
The campaign was organized by the Committee for the Defense of Democracy. According to the organizers, the protests were a response to the increasingly frequent incidents of verbal and physical attacks on people because of their origin, language, or appearance. At the same time, participants wanted to show solidarity with victims of violence and discrimination.
The day before, on August 7, a demonstration was also held in Poland under the slogan “My Poland Does Not Hit, Insult, or Incite.” The organizers submitted a petition signed by more than 11,000 people to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of the Interior and Administration. In it, they called on the authorities to take decisive action, particularly against attacks on Ukrainian citizens.
The phrase “Don’t be indifferent” became well-known thanks to a speech by former Auschwitz prisoner Marian Turski. He delivered it on January 27, 2020, during events marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, calling on people not to stand idly by in cases of mistreatment of minorities, human rights violations, and the spread of historical lies.
RMF24 reports on this.
As a reminder, in the Polish city of Gdynia, law enforcement officers detained a 76-year-old Polish citizen who brutally attacked a 40-year-old Ukrainian woman. According to the investigation, the man beat the woman with a stick, after which he was detained by criminal investigators from the local police department.
In the city of Kozhukhiv (Lubusz Voivodeship), on the evening of August 1, three Ukrainian citizens—37-year-old Volodymyr, 32-year-old Vasyl, and 28-year-old Adelina—were attacked. The incident took place on the private grounds of the hostel where the victims were staying.
