For the second time in two weeks, we were on the streets with a counter- MAS
demonstration against an anti-immigrant protest and for the second time in the last two weeks, the counter mobilization attracted as many people as the fascists. The anti-immigrant demonstration was called by the National Movement (Ruch Narodowy), Mlodzież Wszechpolska and organizers of the Independence March (Nov. 11 demonstrations). Despite the efforts of these organizations and the constant anti-immigrant propaganda promoted by the government, the fascists were only able to mobilize no more than 250 people.
While the racists spewed hate and did fascist salutes, a similar size crowd gathered across the street to protest. The protest was organized by United against Racism and it was also strongly anti-capitalist. A speaker from ZSP pointed out that while the fascists always claim that they are “protecting Polish people”, that they really are just useful idiots of capitalists and others who are inflicting misery on working class people. Many other people also spoke to the fact that political elites are using fearmongering tactics to create a false enemy and that Polish people in fact are a huge immigrant group themselves in many European countries.
Towards the end of the march, the fascist threw flares into our ptotest but the police started harrassing the anti-fascists.
Two weeks ago, ZSP organized a similar counter-demonstration against an anti-immigrant march. That march was organized by a different group of fascist lunatics led by Grzegorz Braun. It was purposefully scheduled for Ukrainian Independence Day because that group is strongly pro-Russia and anti-Ukrainian. However, we stood about 200 meters in front of the Ukrainian culture festival so the fascists could not go further and make any provocations or attacks on them. During that counter-demo, we managed to drown out their speeches with chants. ZSP handed out leaflets about this demonstration in Polish, Ukrainian and English languages.
Immediately after the demonstration two weeks ago, and disgusted by the discriminatory measures taken by the government against Ukrainian people, we decided that we would organize a campaign in defense of Ukrainians living in Poland who have come under attack by various forces who are spreading fake rumors about these people among the population. This of course does not mean we ignore other immigrant populations, but we see how even the Presidential campaign included a competition between candidates about who would introduce the hardest measures targeted specifically against Ukrainians. Therefore we demand that this xenophobic nonsense stop and that we end all official forms of discrimination. We also see how this negatively impacts Ukrainian people in areas such as their work life, so we will be reacting to any signs of abuse that we encounter.
