The Open Republic Association Against Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia was among the 77 signatories of a declaration against violent suppression by the police of peaceful demonstrations following the Constitutional Tribunal’s politicised ruling limiting access to abortion. For many days thousands of Polish women and men have exercised their freedom of expression and freedom of assembly peacefully protesting against the verdict. The signatories oppose forcefully against the police suppression of the protests and express their solidarity with the protesters defending their rights and freedoms to whom they will offer any possible assistance.

On the National Children Rights Day, a group of NGO’s (including the Open Republic Association Against Anti-semitism and Xenophobia) appealed to the Senat of the Polish Republic to initiate the ratification of the protocol regulating the procedure of reporting violations of the children rights. The petition’s signatories raise issues such as poor access to psychiatric care, a transport exclusion of children in the rural areas, lack of access to remote learning, insufficient rights’ of children in family courts, or status of children-illegal immigrants.  The signatories believe that Poland’s ratification of the 3rd protocol will strengthen protections offered by the Convention by opening the Polish authorities’ actions to international scrutiny. 

The Open Republic Association was among the signatories of a letter calling on the Polish government to constructively approach the long-term EU budget’s approval process.

Apolitical expert bodies, NGOs, and think-tanks also called on the Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki to motion a civic consultations mechanism on the Partnership Agreement and the National Reconstruction Plan.

Following a complaint by several opposition parliamentarians and the Open Republic Association against Antisemitism and Xenophobia the committee reprimanded the minister Przemysław Czarnek and a ruling Law and Justice party member of parliament, Jacek Żalek. The complaint was made in regards of Mr Czarnek’s and Mr Żalek’s insults directed at LGBT persons.

The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance day declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. It is observed on 16 November. This action followed up on the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 at the initiative of UNESCO, as outlined in the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the Year.

Breaking the court supported the ban by the city authorities, another so-called Independence March was held in Warsaw. The media and witnesses’ reports indicate that the organisers and the participants were breaking the law. A building was vandalised in the city centre; there was a widespread use of illegal pyrotechnics and attacks against the police. A flare thrown at a balcony decorated with an LGBT flag and the women protest’s symbols set an apartment of fire. Contrary to the organisers’ statements, the March was never blocked by anyone. Their cynical claims of provocations by the “Antifa” are not based on truth.

The demonstration apparently intended as a celebration of the anniversary of Poland’s independence, turned out to be an invasion of Warsaw by aggressive hooligans. Many people were injured, and there was widespread material damage.

Based on the fact that the March’s organisers fall under the administrative control of the Mayor of Warsaw, we have appealed to the President a letter demanding his office takes immediate steps in the aftermath of the March.

We are calling on the Mayor to use his powers to launch proceedings leading to banning the Independence March Association responsible for disregard for and for breaking the law.

This year, POLIN Award will be handed in for the 6th time. POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews grants the Award to individuals or organizations actively engaged in the preservation of the memory of the history of Polish Jewish. The Award jury shortlisted six finalists from several dozen applicants from all across Poland. The name of the laureate of 2020 POLIN Award will be announced on 1 December during the grand finale streamed on the POLIN Museum social media.

This year, six candidates have been shortlisted by the POLIN Award jury:

-Justyna Biernat, Tomaszów Mazowiecki

-Karol Głębocki, Wysokie Mazowieckie / Białysto

-Paweł Kulig, Łódź

-Agnieszka Mysakowska, Wieluń

-Mirosław Reczko, Ciechanowiec

-Krotochwile Association, Wielkopolska [Greater Poland region]

We congratulate the nominees!

More: polin.pl/en

On 16 September a professional lawyers’ tribunal in Szczecin censured a local lawyer Mrs Ewa Rzeuska whom it found guilty of breaking the code of ethics. In June, The Open Republic complained to the lawyers’ tribunal after Mrs Rzeuska denied in a television programme, the transportation and extermination of Jews to Auschwitz, claiming that they helped to run the concentration camp and to murder Polish people.