Poles in scores of cities across the country took to the streets to demand that the flow of illegal migrants be stemmed
Anti-immigration protests were held in around 80 Polish cities on Saturday, according to local media. The largest demonstration reportedly attracted around 3,000 people.
The rallies were organized by a political alliance called the Confederation Liberty and Independence. The coalition of right-wing groups has taken a hardline stance against the EU and its immigration policy.
Around 3,000 people took part in a protest in the southern Polish city of Katowice, public broadcaster TVP reported on Saturday, citing police sources. According to the channel, most of the protesters were men and many were from football fan clubs.
Videos from the scene show protestors waving Polish flags and chanting anti-immigration slogans.
The demonstrators also held a large banner reading: “Refugees NOT welcome.”
Confederation co-chairman Krzysztof Bosak, speaking to a rally in Bialystok on Saturday, accused the EU and NATO ally Germany of sending migrants across the border into Poland. The Polish border patrol is too overworked and undermanned to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, he said.
According to local news, some of the protests carried out minutes of silence in remembrance of a 24-year-old Polish woman who died after being stabbed in Torun last month. A 19-year-old Colombian national has been charged with murder.
Anti-immigration sentiment in Poland has been on the rise lately. In recent weeks, local Polish community groups have begun to form so-called “citizen patrols” to block the entry and return of migrants at the country’s border, according to local media.
Earlier this month, Warsaw reintroduced border controls with fellow EU members Germany and Lithuania, and deployed more troops to the areas to fight the flow of illegal immigration. Poland previously accused Berlin of “dumping” thousands of migrants across the Polish border.
