‘Don’t Be Indifferent’: Poles Rally Nationwide Against Anti-Ukrainian Hostility
Demonstrators took to the streets across Poland to protest against violence and hostility toward Ukrainians, vowing to stand by the community amid rising anti-Ukrainian sentiment.
On Sunday, Polish citizens across 22 cities, including the capital Warsaw, Krakow, and Gdańsk, gathered in solidarity against anti-Ukrainian hostility. The nationwide protest, organized by the Committee for the Defense of Democracy (KOD), aimed to combat the growing wave of verbal and physical attacks targeting Ukrainians and other minorities.
KOD chairman Jakub Karyś emphasized that Ukrainians have become integral to Polish society and that violence against them is intolerable. The demonstrations featured stickers with the slogan “Don’t be indifferent,” which organizers encouraged participants to display on businesses, cars, and other locations to signal support and safety for Ukrainians.
KOD stressed that indifference towards others is an essential aspect of humanitarianism. Poland, a long-time ally of Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion, has provided aid and shelter to nearly one million refugees. However, recent tensions have escalated, particularly over differing historical interpretations of World War II, especially the Volhynia massacres where Ukrainian nationalists killed thousands of ethnic Poles.
The protests come amid a backdrop of rising anti-Ukrainian sentiment, with Polish police reporting a 30% increase in hate crimes against Ukrainians compared to the same period last year.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
