Germans to protest nationalist Warsaw Independence Day demo

photo - marszniepodleglosci pl

The Warsaw march is co-organised by groups such as the All Polish Youth and the National Radical Camp (ONR) organisations that have been regularly accused of homophobia and extreme nationalism in the past.

Calls by Germans to join Polish protests against the march have been published on left-wing web sites such as antifa.de, leading some Polish newspapers, such as Rzeczpospolita, to suggest that aggressive German anarchists and communits will be descending on Warsaw.

“For years, the right-wing government and the Catholic Church have promoted a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic atmosphere in Poland,” the German web site antifa.de declares, adding that last year, Polish anti-fascists got “inspired” by the German left-wing blockade of a march in Dresden, an event that led to rioting and damage to public property.

In an article entitled “Block the Nazi March!” the web site claims that the Polish police had shown in Warsaw that they were “on the side” of the “Nazis.”

However, police invariably provide security at marches of all kinds, protecting annual gay pride marches against right-wing skinheads.

Nevertheless, last year's Independence Day March in Warsaw did not pass without incident.

Robert Biedron, a leader of the Polish Campaign Against Homophobia, and now a freshly-elected MP for the anti-clerical Palikot's Movement party, had charges pressed against him after stones were thrown against the right-wing marchers. Biedron became involved in a scuffle with the police. (nh/pg)