Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, outgoing Mayor of Warsaw and Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor-elect of Warsaw

This petition is run by Partia Razem, ObywateleRP, KOD Mazowsze, Warszawski Strajk Kobiet, Krytyka Polityczna and Fundacja Stocznia

Petition text We, the residents of Warsaw, Poland and Europe demand that city authorities keep their promise that the Independence March organized in Warsaw on November 11, 2018, will be immediately dissolved if any verbal or visual references to fascist ideology are displayed during its course. We call on Rafał Trzaskowski, the newly elected Mayor of Warsaw, to take a stand on this matter.

Why is this important?

The Independence March is going to take place in Warsaw on November 11, 2018. Each year the march attracts tens of thousands of people to the Polish capital. This year, the march is going to be exceptionally well attended: November 11 marks the centenary of Poland’s independence.



The March has been presented as a family-friendly, patriotic event, however, political organizations with fascist leanings openly inciting hatred and discrimination against ethnic and sexual minorities co-organize the event. Some of these groups, such as the All-Polish Youth, descend directly from pre-war organizations that incited and practised antisemitism. Others directly refer to fascist symbols and ideology.



During previous Independence Marches, outrageous displays of hatred and fascist symbols and ideology were captured by photographers and circulated in the press around the world (1). Last year’s march was described by the media as "the biggest event organized by fascists in Europe".



This year, the presence of prominent representatives of fascist groups from abroad was announced in Warsaw at the invitation of the organizers. Among them, representatives of Forza Nuova, an Italian organization that continues Benito Mussolini’s ideology. The management of the Auschwitz Museum has recently sued one of Forza Nuova leaders for wearing a T-shirt with the contemptuous sign "Auschwitzland" stylized as the Disney logo (2).



Warsaw had been occupied by fascists almost throughout the entire Second World War. The streets of Warsaw saw the brutal slaughter of thousands of civilians at the hands of the Nazis. In 1943, Warsaw witnessed the desperate uprising of the Jewish population and in 1944, the whole city rose against the Nazi occupier. The consequences were beyond gruesome: a massacre of the civilian population and a city wiped out from the face of the earth. Survivors of these war crimes live among us. Modern fascists marching through the streets Warsaw is an ultimate insult to these heroic people. To everyone else, it is a shame and a disgrace.



Warsaw mayors are members of Platforma Obywatelska (PO, the Civic Platform), an opposition party. Recently, in the European Parliament, a PO party member proposed to ban fascist organizations in Europe. She referred directly to the controversy of the Independence March to justify the ban (3). We would like to believe that both Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Rafał Trzaskowski share the position of their colleague. We trust that they are not going to stand by as the fascists march.



Two weeks ago, Rafał Trzaskowski won the election for the Mayor of Warsaw. He had run his campaign on the values of openness and tolerance. Today we appeal to his sense of these values. We call on him to take a stance on the march, and on Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz to dissolve it and thereby act by the statement made by the Warsaw Office for Security and Crisis Management in August (4), as well as her own recent claim (5)



We petition the Mayors for full commitment to their promise that the Independence March, due to take place in Warsaw on November 11, is to be immediately resolved as soon as verbal or visual endorsement of fascist ideology occurs, likewise, if hatred against ethnic groups, women or sexual minorities is displayed, if references to fascist historical figures or fascist policy and anti-Semitic slogans are made, as well as in case of acts or attempts at vandalism, punishable offenses, physical violence or other violations of personal safety.



The great project of the European Community arose in response to the atrocities of fascism. The intention was to prevent a similar tragedy from ever happening again. Today, the European project is subject to great challenges. The way we act as Europeans is going to determine the continent’s destiny. It is time to act.



Partia Razem

ObywateleRP

KOD Mazowsze

Warszawski Strajk Kobiet

Krytyka Polityczna

Fundacja Stocznia





References:

(1) Video recordings from last year's March: http://krytykapolityczna.pl/multimedia/najwiekszy-faszystowski-marsz-w-europie-wideo/

(2) https://www.timesofisrael.com/fascist-rally-organizer-in-italy-wears-auschwitzland-t-shirt/

(3) Joint motion for a resolution:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+MOTION+P8-RC-2018-0481+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=en

(4) https://www.polskieradio.pl/5/3/Artykul/2174525,Wladze-Warszawy-aaa-the-Marsz-Noepodleglosci-11-listopada-Declaration-the director-of-the city

