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11/21/2005


First-hand Account of Protest in Poland

Polishprotest3UK Gay News has posted a first-hand account by Tomasz Szypula of the Days of Equality march in Poznan, Poland over the weekend at which 65 people were detained and interrogated.

There may be several hundred of us. Maybe three, maybe five hundred. After just several minutes the police stand in our way, both in front of us and behind us as well. We’re surrounded and can’t move.

We’re shouting: “Let us through! Freedom! Equality! Tolerance!” The people behind the police officers yell: “Faggot! Perverts!” Eggs begin to fly. I get one on the ear. I wipe it off. The ear hurts a little, but it's nothing — I continue: “Tolerance!”

After a moment we realize that the police will not let us go anywhere. So we begin walking around between the police cordons and shout: “Democracy all around!”

After half an hour of walking like that, waving rainbow flags, and shouting “Equal, but different,” we take out candles and light them. Several hundred people hold the candles and shout: “This is a funeral of democracy.”

After a moment, the girls who lead this demonstration enter a podium and begin thanking people for coming to the march. We’re all wondering how to get out.

And that’s when it began.

Tomasz Szypula is secretary general of KPH (Campaign Against Homophobia) in Warsaw, according to UK Gay News, which has the full account...

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Posted 4:57 PM EST by Andy in Activism, Current Affairs, Poland | Permalink

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Comments

  1. Just let me have first crack at the young choir boys and the government can do what it wants...

    My father's last words to me, "Careful, son, I don't think the safety is on!"

    Posted by: HisHolynessDPope | Nov 22, 2005 2:22:11 PM


  2. Thank you for posting this Andy.

    To the friends of Victor Ashe, I strongly encourage you to write to the former mayor of Knoxville, TN and current U.S. ambassador to Poland. He will return home some day for an accounting of the events in Poznan.

    Paul Balo

    Posted by: Paul Balo | Nov 22, 2005 11:54:23 PM


  3. The spirit of Solidarity is still alive in Poland. This weekend many demonstrations supporting gay rights were carried out in several Polish big cities. Demonstrations were attended by many politicians, artists, and people well recognized in the fights for human rights and democracy. Let’s hope that all these demonstrations are not simply actions against the policies of the new government but a deep understanding that to preserve human rights, the rights of all humans must be guarded.
    See pictures from today’s demonstrations at this address:
    http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/fotografie/5,35076,3035332.html?i=0
    Ryszard Romaniuk

    Posted by: Ryszard Romaniuk | Nov 27, 2005 10:45:39 AM


  4. Hi Andy:

    Thanks for the coverage of the events in Poland. I also am covering the story on my blog for personal reasons. Your blog is great, and I would like to link to it! Feel free to check out my blog at the link provided.

    Sincerely,

    THE NAKED BLOGGER

    Posted by: THE NAKED BLOGGER | Dec 2, 2005 1:48:15 PM


  5. An update on the Equality March in Poznan. A court in the city has ruled that the Mayor acted illegally under both Polish and European law when he banned the march. We are carrying a brief report today (December 14) at http://ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/2005dec/1401.htm

    Posted by: Andy | Dec 14, 2005 4:28:57 PM


  6. And Poland's greatest national hero, Chopin, was gay.

    Posted by: Hephaestion | May 3, 2006 5:02:27 PM


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