Protests against anti-Ukrainianian violence held in 25 Polish cities
Police data show that reported hate crimes against Ukrainians in Poland are up 30% this year.
Protests erupted in around 25 Polish cities on Sunday in response to a surge in hate crimes and violence against Ukrainians, who constitute Poland's largest immigrant group. The demonstrations, organized by the Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD), aimed to express opposition to the growing wave of xenophobia, nationalism, and aggression directed at Ukrainians and other minorities.
Under the slogan "Do Not Be Indifferent," participants carried Ukrainian and Polish flags, waving signs that read "With U" in Ukrainian colors. The protests took place in major cities like Warsaw, Wrocław, and Gdańsk, with hundreds of demonstrators gathered in each location. However, they faced a small counter-demonstration in Gdańsk, led by the far-right New Hope party and associated with Poland's Confederation opposition group.
Police data revealed a 30% increase in hate crimes against Ukrainians in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Notable incidents included verbal abuse against Ukrainian girls on a bus in Bielsko-Biała and a violent attack on young Ukrainians by Polish teenagers in Warsaw. The tensions were heightened by a diplomatic crisis, which began in May when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky honored a Ukrainian military unit linked to World War Two massacres of Poles, leading Polish President Karol Nawrocki to strip Zelensky of Poland's highest honor.
The far-right opposition parties have been particularly vocal in their anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, while the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has proposed deporting Ukrainian conscription-age men who are not legally employed.
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