The head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, stated in the Sejm that farmers traveled to Warsaw to protest peacefully. He noted that among the demonstrators there were provocateurs who attacked police, and in those circumstances the police had to respond.
A farmers’ demonstration in Warsaw on Wednesday brought together representatives of Solidarity and foresters, among others. Clashes occurred near the Sejm as police and protesters confronted each other. The Warsaw Police Station reported several injuries among officers and roughly a dozen arrests.
Opposition MPs commented on the events in the Sejm on Wednesday. MP Michał Wójcik (PiS) said that a situation of this kind had not been seen in Poland for many decades.
“Farmers came here without anyone ever raising a hand against them. And you, as the government, raised it. Why did you order the attack on farmers?” one speaker asked.
Confederation co-chairman Sławomir Mentzen claimed that the police acted “unprovoked” against the farmers.
In response, Kierwiński recalled that during their time in office PiS MPs often repeated the slogan: “A wall behind the Polish uniform.”
You liked this saying, Mr. President Kaczyński, Mr. Minister Błaszczak, he remarked.
“Gang of Provocateurs”
According to the interior minister, the real aggressors were not the farmers but a “gang of provocateurs” who threw paving stones at Polish police officers.
“And you attack the Polish police. Where is your decency?” he asked.
He emphasized that the police have been ensuring the safety of protesting farmers for several days, maintaining a calm and professional stance. “Are you really not ashamed of attacking officers who are being hit with paving stones? Have you not seen the photos? Shame on you for your rhetoric that helped fuel these acts of violence,” Kierwiński asserted.
The minister reiterated that farmers had come to Warsaw to protest peacefully, while noting that some bands of agitators caused trouble. “In such a situation, the Polish police will respond and will always defend Polish citizens, regardless of the shouting,” he stated.
READ ALSO: Sławomir Mentzen gassed by the police, a reminder of past provocations during the Independence March.
Hołownia: “Shameful events”
Marshal of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia commented that shameful events occurred during the protests near the Sejm. He suggested that while the farmers’ group came to demonstrate, it was accompanied by provocateurs and masked individuals who engaged in misconduct.
Hołownia added that police officers who protected public safety today deserve public support. He emphasized that the hooligans, not the protesting farmers, must be held accountable for the wrongdoing.
The farmers’ protest in the capital involved participants from Solidarity and forest rangers. The demonstration began before noon in front of the Prime Minister’s office, later moving to the Sejm complex. Clashes broke out as pavers were hurled at officers, who used tear gas in response to the incidents.
In the afternoon, during Sejm proceedings, Confederation MP Grzegorz Braun requested a break, the gathering of seniors, and added to the agenda a full briefing from the Minister of the Interior and Administration regarding what he described as police provocation in Warsaw on Wiejska Street and nearby avenues in recent hours.
Braun noted that one MP reportedly had a recording showing stones being thrown toward the protest line from the police side.
According to Mentzen, Southern MPs who attempted to deescalate the situation faced police actions that worsened tensions.
Hołownia responded by asking Confederation MPs to forward any recordings or material to the appropriate authorities for review. He observed the events from the marshal’s control center and called them “utterly shameful.” He argued that a group of provocateurs, masked individuals, and those who violated the bodily integrity of officers clearly accompanied the protest.
The discussion noted that stones and fireworks were thrown as police repeatedly urged protesters to disperse, declaring the gathering illegal and asking lawmakers and senators to leave the area. Several officers were injured, dozens were arrested, and the situation underscored the need to address slogans about a wall behind the Polish uniform with seriousness.
Hołownia reiterated that the police who safeguarded public safety deserve support and that those who engaged in hooliganism must be held accountable. He and Sejm Deputy Speaker Piotr Zgorzelski were preparing to meet protesters, though organizers reportedly could not assemble a delegation to participate in a discussion.
When asked about the denial of a delegation, Hołownia clarified that Zgorzelski had been waiting and, upon the speaker’s return from the swearing-in ceremony for members of the National Electoral Commission, he inquired about the delegation’s whereabouts. He remarked that protests are one thing and hooliganism is another, stressing the importance of clear accountability for the latter.
The remarks concluded with an acknowledgment that police must be supported for safeguarding public safety, while emphasizing that those who attacked or disrupted the protest should be held responsible.
Source: wPolityce