A city councillor elected from the Civic Coalition list in Stargard, Monika Kirschenstein, posted a photo on social media showing a burning cross in Warsaw, captioned: “A beautiful sight.” “For me, this crosses a line that must not be crossed. Therefore, I am notifying the prosecutor’s office,” wrote MP Grzegorz Płaczek.
“In Poland, I neither accept nor will accept public mockery of faith and religious symbols. Freedom of speech is not the freedom to show contempt. (…) Therefore, I am notifying the prosecutor’s office of a suspected offense involving the insult of religious feelings (Article 196 of the Penal Code). The state has a duty to respond when someone publicly escalates hatred and provokes social conflicts, especially on religious grounds,”
wrote the head of the Confederation parliamentary caucus on X.
“One may hold different views, one may criticize the Church, one may argue. But profanation and mockery of what is sacred to millions of Poles is neither ‘courage’ nor ‘freedom’, it is simply contempt. (…) Prime Minister, congratulations on the councillor from your committee. Quite a team you have,” added Grzegorz Płaczek.