Actions of Solidarity Held in Poland :: Charter'97 :: News

On December 16 in nine cities of Poland actions of solidarity with Belarus were held.

Warsaw

Despite of a nasty weather, with the air thick with snow, about 300 Belarusians, Poles and Ukrainians gathered in the center of Warsaw by the Presidential Palace. The action started with songs of Belarusian and polish rock-groups, with a DJ, a well-known Polish showman Robert Lesczynski. Then participants of the rally and guests made speeches.

A Vice-Speaker of the Polish Sejm Bronislaw Komarowski arrived to the action. He was given a petition signed by organizers of the protest, “The Union In Support of Democracy in Belarus”, a students’ initiative “Free Belarus” and the organization “Our Choice-Ukraine”. The Vice-Speaker of the Polish Sejm in his speech promised that the Belarusian people would not be left alone in such a difficult situation they have in their country today.

After that the column under white-red-white, Ukrainian and Polish flags went down the Ujazdowski Avenue. At 7 p.m. Polish time (8 p.m. Belarusian time) the participants of the action lit candles of solidarity with Belarus.

The participants of the action also visited the Ukrainian and Lithuanian Embassies. An assistant of the Ukrainian Ambassador, Andriy Dyshchitsa, and Lithuanian Vice-Ambassador Jonas Mozhejka went out to them. The petitions to the Ukrainian and Lithuanian governments with the call for more effective and concrete aid to the Belarusian opposition were handed in to the diplomats.

“Today-Ukraine, tomorrow – Belarus!” This slogan was chanted by the Ukrainian Embassy.

In the evening in one of the clubs of Warsaw a concert of a band “Ststyana” from Brest took place.

Vice-Speaker of Polish Sejm Bronislaw Komarowski

Lublin

About 30 people gathered in the center of Lublin. Participanst of the rally handed out leaflets for passers-by, urging to join the action of solidarity with Belarus. Some participants of the action gagged their mouths, showing absence of freedom of speech in Belarus.

Krakow

In Krakow about 50 people have taken part in the action. Among them was a former chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich, and the founder of the Union of Poles in Belarus Tadeusz Gawin.

Lodz

Tow dozens of Belarusians and Poles lit candles of solidarity with Belarus, and later made a number 16 out of them.

Bialystok

In Bialystock about 50 participants read prayers, and were burning red and white candles.

Poznan

In Poznan several dozens of people formed a live chain with candles and portraits of the abducted politicians in their hands.
The similar actions were carried out in Wroclaw, Gorzow Wielkopolski, Torun.

As said by the organizers of the action, the announcement of early elections would make the number of participants of such rallies grow rapidly.