Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Disturbing outbreak of fascist Blue Bloc violence
by Abolish the Blue Bloc Wednesday February 09, 2005 at 02:55 AM


Scenes like a throwback to the worst days of commie dictatorship mar Poland's progress.

Warsaw cops attack cultural centre, beat up pregnant activist

Systematic police repression led up to and followed the alternative economic conference and anti-WEF protests on 29 April 2004, but during Dec/2004 and Jan/2005, a new wave of police repression against human rights activists has started in Poland.

On 11 December 2004, police attacked a music concert at the ElektroMadonna squat in Czestochowa without showing a warrant, illegally searched the building without independent witnesses present, detained 15, and filed minor drug charges. The motive for the attack is hypothesised to be anti-war organising at the squat.

On 26 January 2005, police in Krakow violently attacked peaceful protestors (pl) (en) opposing war criminal Putin's presence at the 60th anniversary of the freeing of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and detained about 28-35. Police suggested they would charge people for insulting a head of state (Article 136 in criminal law), but as of 29.01.2005, only one person remained accused of this; other charges such as assaulting a police officer remain.

On 28 January 2005, the third attack occurred when police attacked (pl) (en) the Fabryka squat in Warsaw. They refused to show a warrant or to provide their identity numbers, and they beat up a 5-month pregnant activist.

Videos of the Krakow attack and audio files of the Warsaw attack are being widely distributed, calls for the resignation of the police minister Ryszard Kalisz are being made, but your pressure on Prime Minister Belka, President Kwasniewski and at your local embassy calling (1) for all charges against the victims of the three attacks to be dropped and (2) for Kalisz to be dismissed, might help stop this wave of police violence.
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