Far-right rioters leave trail of destruction in Polish capital
Source: Reuters
Polish police used rubber bullets on Monday to break up groups of masked far-right youths who threw firecrackers and set fire to cars when a nationalist march through the centre of the capital turned violent.
...
The violence started when a few dozen youths, their faces covered by balaclavas and football scarves, broke off from the procession into a side street and started attacking a building where left-wing radicals occupied a squat.
Riot police moved in, and came under attack from youths throwing firecrackers and stones. As the rioters dispersed, several cars were set on fire.
...
An arch across the middle of the square, decorated in rainbow colours with artificial flowers, had become a symbol of tolerance and diversity. By Monday evening, after the rioters had passed through and set it on fire, all that was left of the arch was a charred, steel skeleton.
Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/11/uk-poland-nationalists-march-idUKBRE9AA0NB20131111
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24902058
MinneapolisMatt
(1,550 posts)One would think in Poland of all places they'd know a little more about what fascism did to their country just a few decades ago.
Archae
(46,335 posts)Even today with very few Jews left in Poland, anti-Semitism is still rampant.
MinneapolisMatt
(1,550 posts)I wish I could understand how people become so hateful.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)soccer fans and their violence. Wouldn't take this seriously at all, IMO.
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)The Soviets weren't really big on encouraging eastern European countries to be introspective about what fascism did to them, or how they were affected by it. It was seen as an outside thing that was imposed by the (usually) Evil Neighbors Or Other External Forces, and when you push that viewpoint long enough it gets pretty hard to take responsibility for one's actions when going the same route. ("This isn't real fascism! We're not Germans!"
There's a reason most of the really thriving hate movements in Europe - not all, to be sure, but definitely most - tend to be in places that were on the other side of the Iron Curtain. That thing's gone but it'll still be decades before the region's fully healed.
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)octoberlib
(14,971 posts)History reminds us that high unemployment and wrong policies like austerity are an extremely poisonous cocktail, said Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister and a Social Democrat. Populists are always there. In good times it is not easy for them to get votes, but in these bad times all their arguments, the easy solutions of populism and nationalism, are getting new ears and votes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/09/world/europe/right-wings-surge-in-europe-has-the-establishment-rattled.html?hp&_r=2&
closeupready
(29,503 posts)do fall to the elitists' boogeyman, "populism".
I guess the rise of the far-right should serve as a clarion call to Western governments (or wherever the far-right is ascendant) that you let people go hungry and even die for lack of medical care at the risk that people will demand radical change.
happyslug
(14,779 posts)Racism is often stated in Riots, but it is rarely the reason. This started as a peaceful march, and sounds like it was mostly peaceful:
The violence started when a few dozen youths, their faces covered by balaclavas and football scarves, broke off from the procession into a side street and started attacking a building where left-wing radicals occupied a squat.
The Russians have their own prospective on this riot:
"This is where it happened. Today is the day of Poland's independence. The most important thing - independence from Russia. Polish are always fighting with someone here, Russia is still an enemy. Media and politics are saying that all the problems in Poland come from Russia. And today, many people who gathered for March are bandits, nationalists. They gather, walk every year through half of Warsaw, and each year incidents happen. It is the first time though when the Russian embassy was attacked. They have demonstrations every year, but it was the first time when they threw petrol bombs. They have set fire to the police booth, wanted to climb over the fence, but the police acted well, a large number of Polish officers interfered very quickly"
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_11_11/Riots-in-Warsaw-Russian-embassy-attacked-reports-1174/
A group of about 60 young men, some with balaclavas and scarves covering their faces, broke away from a far-right march through the center of Warsaw and started attacking a building where left-wing squatters had hung a banner.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_11_11/Riots-in-Warsaw-Russian-embassy-attacked-reports-1174/
Most of Sunday's 100,000-person National Day march was peaceful.
http://rt.com/news/poland-clashes-independence-day-463/
Sounds like a group of 60 Right wing radicals decided to use the March as a staging point to attack a similar number of lefties holding a "squat".
A report from the "Squat" that was attacked, It is held by lefties but the the first object of the 60 right wingers:
http://en.squat.net/tag/poland/
Here is they statement on the attack, please note it is computer translated from Polish:
Statement by the collective "Ambulance" on the attack
November 12th, 2013
At about 15.45 the community center clinic przypuszczono planned attack by the so-called. "March of Independence". Only by mastering and cold-blooded residents and residents of the building, managed to fend off the nationalist aggression and there were no victims, only a few wounded.
The neo-fascists were not prepared to comment on the matter in the media and immediately informed that the persons present in the squat attacked from the roof of their march stones. For obvious reasons this was not possible, since the end of the street. Shell, where there is a building, is located about 200 meters from the street. Marshal, he passed nationalist march.
As recorded in several films, paramilitary formation called the Guard March of Independence, which was to secure the assembly, at the height of st. Shells parted to allow the passage of armed and prepared to attack bojówce in force of several hundred people. Participants in the March of Independence of flares, stones and bottles stormed into the Clinic. Nationalists set fire to one car, destroyed another and damaged the building, trying to get to us, but fortunately we were able to repel the attack. This was achieved only by wartom issued earlier on the roof (we received death threats for a long time) and the rapid response of hybrid extinguishing thrown into the race.
We note that although clusters of police even just a few hundred meters, it's been 20 minutes the staff had any intervention. If we listen to the recommendations of the police and ignored the threat, squat now would be burned.
Goebbels propaganda National Movement traditionally tries to turn the event into hooliganism - despite the fact that it was officially designated March released militants fire, and after the attack allowed and helped them to escape. We are now preparing for the next attack, be vigilant!
The anti-fascist salute,
Collective Clinic
http://przychodnia.bzzz.net/
It sounds like a 60 man "team" or right wingers wanted to attack some lefties and decided the lefties squatting in an apartment building was a good target. The eighties seems to have called ahead, more to make sure it any attack would look like an even fight then any thing else. The Lefties complain that the Police did not respond as soon as they could have, but 20 minutes response time while over viewing a march that the Police feared would turn violent, would still be in reasonable (i.e. The delay MAY have been caused by the police being busy elsewhere OR may have been police policy, the delay itself proves nothing).
muriel_volestrangler
(101,321 posts)by saying it was just 60 who did something wrong. Notice that the squatters say the 'security' the marchers provided for themselves parted to allow the 60 pre-armed rioters through to make the attacks.
Violence from the march had been predicted, because it happened before:
Ashley Renders, Special to National Post | 01/11/13 3:55 PM ET
Warsaw has several parades celebrating Independence Day on November 11. The March of Independence parade organized by All-Polish Youth and National Radical Camp, two far-right groups aimed at young Poles has turned violent in the past, clashing with police and left-wing groups.
In 2011, there were 210 arrests, 40 police officers injured and 14 police cars destroyed. And in 2012, the BBC reported that police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at an estimated crowd of 20,000 Polish patriots, nationalists and football hooligans who were throwing fireworks and bricks at police.
...
While some blame Europes economic crisis for the rise of the far-right in Europe, research showed it usually has more to do with cultural anxieties than with economic concerns, said Ms. Ramalingam.
People feel they are in an identity conflict with certain minorities whether that is Muslim communities in some Western European countries or LGBT communities in Poland, she said.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/01/far-right-faction-gears-up-for-warsaw-march-during-un-climate-conference-sparking-fears-for-delegates-safety/
pampango
(24,692 posts)Later, the rioters moved on to Zbawiciela Square, one of the most bohemian areas of central Warsaw, where students usually hang out in trendy pavement cafes. An arch across the middle of the square, decorated in rainbow colours with artificial flowers, had become a symbol of tolerance and diversity. On Monday evening, after the rioters had passed through and set it on fire, all that was left of the arch was a charred, steel skeleton.
Many Poles have grown wealthier in the past few years, but a minority feel alienated and believe traditional values on marriage, abortion and the church have been swept aside. I believe that Polishness is under threat, said one marcher, Grzegorz, who said he was 30. The Polish government is incompetent and a threat to Polishness.
Before the violence broke out, marchers chanted: God, honour, fatherland! and waved the red-and-white national flag. Another protester, who gave his name as Mateusz, said he had come to manifest my patriotism.
Riot police formed a cordon around the Russian embassy, as part of the crowd headed. Many Polish nationalists dislike Russia, their countrys former colonial ruler.
http://www.euronews.com/2013/11/11/poland-far-right-rioters-leave-trail-of-destruction-in-warsaw/
The Polish government is incompetent and a threat to Polishness. - And rioting, burning and attacking are not a threat to Polishness?
Brigid
(17,621 posts)We are not the only country with a problem on the right.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)I don't like the Tea Party but they don't typically start violent anti-Semitic riots.