Polish Interior Minister: 55 people were detained at farmers' protests in Warsaw the day before
Kyiv • UNN
55 people were detained during the farmers' protests in Warsaw, 26 of them were identified as "hooligans and provocateurs" who attacked the police, according to Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said that 55 people had been detained the day before during the protests in Warsaw. Marcin Kierwinski noted that 26 of the detainees were "hooligans and provocateurs" who attacked the police. He said this during a press conference to Polish media, UNN reports.
I want to be very clear - and I want this to sound very clear - to distinguish between two categories of protesters. The protesting farmers, who were peacefully protesting in accordance with the rights of every citizen, but we also had to deal with a group of hooligans and provocateurs who attacked the police. There is probably no doubt about that. We all see, we have seen these pictures, when poles with white and red flags were being cut out of the pavement and the pavement was flying towards the police.
Details
Kervinsky said that "55 people were detained in total, but 26 people (...) were detained at this critical moment." - After the meeting was dissolved by the organizers. When the police called - because emotions were running high - for people to disperse.
According to the minister, the 26 people detained had aggressive behavior. He added that "measures are being taken against these people.
26 people were physically detained there. Almost half of these people were intoxicated. There were people with 1.7 ppm.
Law enforcement also reported that a total of 14 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters. One of them has a serious head injury and is in the hospital.
As a result of the aggressive behavior of some protesters, 14 police officers were injured. ... One is still in the hospital.
There were also injuries among the protesters. Four protesters received medical assistance after police used tear gas.
Mrochek explained that these were gas-related incidents, and the assistance was one-time and lasted several minutes.
Optional
PiS chairman Mariusz Blaszczak also commented on the protest at a conference to journalists in the Sejm on Thursday. He said that Kervinsky was responsible for the unrest during the farmers' protest, criticized the actions of the police and expressed no confidence in the head of the Polish Interior Ministry.
- Undoubtedly, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration is responsible for everything that concerns the security of our homeland, everything that happened yesterday. That is why we have prepared a motion of no confidence in Minister Kerwinski, which will be submitted in the near future... We do not support (...) the use of the police for political purposes, ... and we do not agree to call farmers hooligans - hence the conclusion (of no confidence - ed.)
Recall
On March 6, in the morning, farmers went on a general strike in Warsaw. The protesters set tires on fire in front of the Prime Minister's office. They demanded protection from foreign agricultural imports.
In the evening, clashes between protesting farmers and law enforcement officers took place in front of the Polish Sejm building. There were injuries on both sides.
