Freedom of expression is tied to responsibility for words, stated by President Krystian Kinastowski during a court session in Kalisz on Thursday. The mayor contended that the activist from the Citizens of the Republic of Poland had disseminated false information that harmed the city’s reputation.
The case centers on events from November 14, 2021, in Kalisz. On that date, residents gathered for a rally under the banner “Kalisz free from fascism” in response to the November 11 incident when a reprint of the 13th-century Statute of Kalisz, a symbol of religious tolerance for Jews, was burned during an anti-Semitic march.
One speaker at the march was Katarzyna Urbaniak of the Citizens of the Republic of Poland. During her address, she directed a remark at the president of Kalisz and shouted:
Mr. President, it is high time you stopped funding ONR and All-Polish Youth events.
Kinastowski, the mayor, appeared taken aback by the accusation. He denied the claim and announced that the speaker would need to apologize for her words.
Officials noted that mediation had been attempted in good faith to resolve the dispute amicably. They proposed that the defendant correct or apologize and even suggested she address a city council meeting to set the record straight, Kinastowski told the court.
The defense argued that the lack of consent by the defendant led the matter to a civil trial rather than a simple settlement.
The defendant faced charges of violating personal rights by presenting the city and the office of the president in a way that could damage their reputation in the eyes of the public.
Kalisz has a history of upholding freedom of expression, the chair noted, but emphasized that such freedom carries responsibility. He argued that false statements spoken at public gatherings can offend residents of Kalisz.
According to the president, the protests included assertions that were false, and he asserted that there was no funding provided for ONR or All-Polish Youth for the events cited, describing the accusations as inaccurate.
He warned that such allegations could deter visitors and harm the city’s appeal to tourists. While it is difficult to quantify the damage, the statements were uttered at a public gathering by a person who actively participates in multiple marches and holds a position of influence.
The defendant maintained that information circulating in Kalisz from 2018—before Kinastowski’s term as president—was the basis for her remarks, and she testified that she believed the Kalisz Patriots were closely connected to ONR and the All-Polish Youth. She claimed that participants in the Wolf Trail Run, organized to honor the National Commemoration of the Cursed Soldiers, received city funding. She noted that the event organizers included a member of ONR, and a former spokesman for Kaliskie Patriots also held ONR ties, with participants reportedly wearing ONR bracelets and chanting slogans such as “Poland for Poland” during the run.
The defendant stated during court testimony that her comments referred to information published on social networks in 2018, long before Kinastowski became mayor. She asserted that the Kalisz Patriots were linked to ONR and the All-Polish Youth, which formed the basis of her conclusion. She also argued that city support for the Kalisz Patriots amounted to indirect support for those organizations.
“Foggy Accusations”
From the president’s perspective, the defendant did not substantiate the credibility of her statements from the march. Kinastowski described the accusations as vague and questioned whether the speaker lied or merely repeated a falsehood unintentionally, in an interview with the Polish news agency PAP.
The city demanded an apology, but the defendant rejected the request entirely. A verdict in the case was scheduled for May 11 of that year.
Related coverage noted debates about the dissolution of the March of Independence and related associations, with national figures commenting on state capacity to respond to such factions. The article concludes with an attribution to a Polish press service and a source cited as wPolityce.