Volunteers collecting signatures in Warsaw for a petition to hold a referendum on illegal migration were attacked. The information was shared by former Law and Justice (PiS) MP Paweł Lisiecki. “Is this yet another manifestation of militant democracy, now in full force?” asked the party’s spokesperson, Rafał Bochenek, online.
Some time ago, representatives of Law and Justice intensified their calls for a new referendum on migration. The initiative gained publicity following scandalous cases in which German authorities transported foreigners into Poland. Signature collection efforts are ongoing in many parts of the country, but clearly, not everyone supports them.
Attack on Volunteers
Former PiS MP Paweł Lisiecki reported on social media that the volunteers collecting signatures were attacked. According to him, individuals “with slogans of ‘fighting hate’ on their lips destroyed the display stand and physically harassed the collectors.”
“The woman who broke the display stand told the police that she did so in the name of fighting fascism in Poland,” he wrote on X.
Unprecedented Aggression
Lisicki’s post drew a response from Marek Borowski, a councillor of the Praga Południe district. He stated that he has been collecting signatures on Warsaw’s streets for many years, but has never encountered such aggression. “Especially not in my district, Grochów,” he noted.
The PiS spokesperson Rafał Bochenek also commented on Lisiecki’s account. “Is this yet another manifestation of militant democracy, now in full force?” he asked while sharing the post.
Referendum on Migration
Poles have already voiced their opinion on illegal migration once before. The issue was one of the questions in the 2023 referendum. In response to the question: “Do you support the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa under the forced relocation mechanism imposed by European bureaucracy?”, nearly 11 million people answered “No.” However, turnout was just over 40 percent, meaning the referendum was not binding. According to many commentators, low participation was partly due to opposition politicians advising against voting.
In July, PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński announced that over half a million people had already signed the new referendum initiative. Poll results also suggest that Poles support holding a vote on the issue. According to a survey conducted by SW Research for Rzeczpospolita, 73.8% of respondents said they would participate in such a referendum.