A high-ranking official from the Polish Deputy Foreign Ministry has voiced concerns over the lack of response by Warsaw authorities to calls for ethnic and national hatred during a pro-Palestinian gathering that took place in the Polish capital on Saturday.
The demonstrators held placards with various messages, including one that read, “Keep the world clean,” featuring a wastebasket and an Israeli flag inside. This protest was part of a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Warsaw on the aforementioned Saturday. Additionally, participants carried Palestinian flags and banners advocating for an end to what they described as the “genocide of Palestinians” and supporting a free Palestine.
This photo from a pro-Palestinian rally in Warsaw has shocked the world.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 21, 2023
Visegrad24 has identified the young woman in the photo.
Meet Marie Andersen.
She is a Norwegian medical student at the Medical University of Warsaw. pic.twitter.com/3LxYAsIScf
Paweł Jabłoński, responding to the banner displaying the Israeli flag inside a wastebasket, expressed his strong disapproval, stating that such messages calling for ethnic and national hatred are in violation of the law and warrant the dissolution of the gathering.
Jabłoński laid the responsibility for the lack of response on the shoulders of Warsaw’s mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, and the city authorities. He pointed out a disparity in how other gatherings, such as an Independence March or patriotic events, were treated by Warsaw’s authorities, alleging that they were swiftly disbanded under any pretext. He lamented the silence surrounding the recent event.
To absolutnie nie powinno mieć miejsca. Transparenty wzywające do nienawiści ze względów narodowościowych / etnicznych to złamanie prawa – i podstawa do rozwiązania zgromadzenia.
— 🇵🇱 Paweł Jabłoński (@paweljablonski_) October 21, 2023
Odpowiedzialność za brak reakcji spada na @trzaskowski_ i władze m. st. Warszawy.
W przypadku… https://t.co/MxCxoiELDd
The Israeli Ambassador to Poland, Yacov Livne, shared the same photo on social media, highlighting the presence of the police during the march and calling on Polish authorities to prevent manifestations of blatant anti-Semitism.
"Pro-Palestinians" in #Warsaw today. Polish authorities must stop this blatant #Antisemitism before it gets out of control.
— Amb. Yacov Livne 🇮🇱 (@YacovLivne) October 21, 2023
Warszawa dzisiaj. Polskie władze mają powinność zapobiegania przejawom takiego otwartego antysemityzmu.#NeverAgainIsNow #HamasisISIS pic.twitter.com/QPKAgHneMj
In a tweet posted late on Saturday, the Israeli embassy in Poland urged the Polish police and the Medical University of Warsaw, where the person carrying the offensive placard is said to be a student, to take appropriate action. Their message emphasized, “No place for Antisemites!”
Polish police @PolskaPolicja & Medical University of Warsaw need to act. No place for Antisemites! @antisemitism @StopAntisemites https://t.co/D8726jLjWk
— Ambasada Izraela (@IsraelinPoland) October 21, 2023
The pro-Palestinian march in Warsaw was one of numerous demonstrations organized in European and global cities, reflecting widespread concern about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
According to authorities in Gaza, more than 4,380 people have lost their lives, and over 13,600 have been injured since the war began. In Israel, more than 1,400 individuals lost their lives during a deadly attack by Hamas on October 7, with at least 203 civilians reported as kidnapped.