Protests held in 22 Polish cities over violence targeting Ukrainians
Demonstrations against growing violence targeting Ukrainians were held in 22 Polish cities on Aug. 9, Polish radio station RMF24 reported.
Protests erupted across 22 Polish cities on August 9, denouncing the escalating violence against Ukrainians, according to Polish radio station RMF24. The demonstrations, which kicked off after 5 p.m. in most locations, urged citizens not to be indifferent to the mistreatment of Ukrainian citizens. In response to a petition signed by over 11,000 people, the Polish Prime Minister's Office and Interior Ministry received a petition calling for decisive action, including measures to combat violent attacks.
The nationwide campaign, organized by the Committee for the Defense of Democracy, aimed to defend Ukrainians living in Poland from verbal and physical assaults rooted in their origin, language, or appearance. These rallies echoed the call made by Marian Turski, a former Auschwitz-Birkenau prisoner, who urged people to not remain indifferent to the mistreatment of minorities, human rights violations, and historical falsehoods.
Police reported a surge in crimes against Ukrainians since the start of 2026, with 180 xenophobic crime reports filed by July 17, up 30% from the same period in 2025. A poll conducted on July 25-26 also revealed a decline in attitudes toward Ukrainians, with one-third of respondents expressing worsening sentiments towards Ukrainians following political developments.
For the first time since 2014, a majority of Poles opposed accepting Ukrainian refugees, a significant shift from the overwhelming support in May 2022. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Zelenskyy on July 29 to discuss security challenges faced by Ukrainians in Poland, following a series of attacks targeting Ukrainians.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
