Poland Complains of Unjust ‘Image Problem’ After Racist March
- Right-wing groups marched with ‘Europe will be white’ banners
- Provocateurs may be behind racist signs, deputy minister says
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Poland, accused by European Union officials of undermining democracy, tried to mount a defense after racists marched in Warsaw in the latest demonstration of nationalism surging across the continent.
The nation’s annual Independence Day march on Saturday became a demonstration by far-right groups when masked protesters shouted racist slogans and carried banners saying “Pure Blood” and “Europe will be white or uninhabited.” After the rally become global news, the government accused media of focusing on “fringe incidents," said unspecified “provocateurs” had stoked unrest and praised the police for restraining 45 anti-fascists who sought to disrupt the 60,000-strong march. No arrests were made for racist behavior.