Poland's anti-Semite nationalists burn books on Jewish rights at Independence Day rally
The book burning, that took place at Kalisz, a city of about 100,000 people located 120 miles southwest of Warsaw, was part of a series of nationalist events.
Polish nationalists yelled "death to Jews" as they burned a book commemorating a historic pact protecting Poland's Jewish Rights on Thursday, November 11, which marks Poland's Independence Day and commemorates Poland's reunification in 1918. The book-burning, which took place at a rally in Kalisz, a city of about 100,000 people located 120 miles southwest of Warsaw, was part of a series of nationalist events. Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported, citing the videos and eyewitness accounts in the local media that Wojciech Olszaski, a far-right activist, lit a red-covered book meant to symbolise the Statute of Kalisz.
Karolina Pawliczak, Member of the Polish Parliament, posted a video of people torching the book on Twitter. The caption, after being translated, reads, "Coming to Kalisz to burn the "Statute of Kalisz" amid hateful shouts at the Main Market Square - a testimony to the centuries-old tradition of tolerance and openness, it is like spitting in the face of all Kalisz residents. Where were the city authorities?"
The video is getting investigated by the local police
In the video, the crowd can be seen cheering and chanting "Death to Jews." Olszaski, the activist, is also seen pouring flammable liquid on a copy of the Kalisz Statute that had been skewered on a sharp metal object and setting it on fire. "No to Polin, yes to Poland," some shouted. Polin is the Hebrew name for Poland, as well as the name of Warsaw's main Jewish museum. Polish nationalists frequently use the slogan to suggest that alleged Jewish influence over Poland must be removed. The footage is being examined by police, according to the PAP news agency.
Prince Boleslaw the Pious issued a document in 1264 that regulated the legal status of Jews in Poland and provided some protection by penalising attacks on them. For centuries, the statute served as the legal foundation for relations between non-Jews and Jews in Poland. In recent days, other large nationalist events have taken place in major Polish cities. The current crisis in relations between Belarus and Poland was one of the main themes of the marches. Belarus' dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, has been encouraging immigrants to cross into Poland and the European Union in recent days, ostensibly as retaliation for Poland and other countries harbouring Belarussian dissidents, according to JTA.
(With inputs from agencies)
Image: Twitter
Published By : Aparna Shandilya
Published On: 13 November 2021 at 14:24 IST