Young people in Konin areorganising a March of Tolerance on May 18. The march is intended as a response to hate attacks against two Konin secondary schools (II and III Liceum Ogólnokształcące). At the end of April, a Facebook group “Poland for Poles” carried out an attack on the fan page of the Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński Liceum in Konin, after it has shared the Open Republic, “Our Daily Bread” film. As a result of these attacks, the video was removed from the school’s fan page.

Similar problems were experienced by another Konin secondary school –  the Cyprian Kamil Norwid Liceum. Its students prepared an art competition to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Transfobia and Biphobia, on 17 May. On April 27, protest emails and phone call from the All-Polish Youth grouping to the school management have begun. Threats and vulgarisms were addressed to the organisers, teachers and even to their families on the internet. families. Under such pressure, the school withdrew its iniative.

The March of Tolerance in Konin will set off on May 18 at 6 P.M. It will follow a symbolic route: from the Solidarity Roundabout (Rondo Solidarności) to the Freedom Square (Plac Wolności).

It is intended as a protest against hatred that was directed against two schools, but also as a manifestation of respect towards all minorities in Poland. The organizers invite the minorities’  representatives to participate in the march. – We want to show that we will not be manipulated by the “All-Polish Youth” and that we are not afraid of them – says one of the organizers, Mikołaj Marcinkowski.

The secretary of the Board of the Open Republic, Damian Wutke, addressed a letter of support to the organizers and participants of the March of Tolerance on behalf of the Association.