Poland: Riots in Warsaw

(en) 32 people were arrested during riots following the police murder of a 36-year-old Nigerian man, Max, in Warsaw on Saturday. 25 of these people are being charged with assaulting a police officer.

Below is a description of events. Some photos are here: http://zspwawa.blogspot.com/2010/05/police-murder-riots-and-protest-against.html

Check back in the next days on this blog or the CIA website (www.cia.bzzz.net) for videos of speeches made by the colleagues of Max at the protest and new information.

There is also an address for sending a fax to the police and a sample letter below.

On Sunday May 23, police started a raid on some Nigerian traders who were selling shoes at the bazaar at the Stadium in the Praga district of Warsaw. One guy was apparently handcuffed and push to the ground.

A 36-year-old colleague from Nigeria, Max, tried to intervene and get the police to stop brutalizing the other. Max was shot in the stomach and killed.

There immediately started to be problems with police, who tried then to chase and round up the rest of the panicked African traders, mostly from Nigeria. When more police arrived, some riot started. People were throwing stones and bricks at the police and 4 police vans were destroyed. 32 people were arrested.

The police immediately sent their spokesperson to invent a good story for the media: that police were "surrounded and attacked" by a gang of agressive Africans, so they had to shoot Max. As we later established from eye witnesses, the story was completely different.

ZSP released a statement and called for an emergency action the next day. During the day, the TV interviewed the Max's wife, Monika, and Akai from ZSP, finally letting another version of events into the media.

Max had been in Poland legally for many years. He was married to Monika, a Polish woman, with whom he has three children, aged 10, 4 and 2. He was selling goods at the stadium as a second job to supplement his poor income and help support his family.

In the evening, people gathered at the site of the murder. Some speeches were made and then there was a spontaneous demonstration to the police station were the Africans are being held. The protestors took over the main street in Praga and marched to the station. At the station, a group of African friends of Max came and told people about what happened.

People would like to press this issue. We have learned that 25 of the 32 arrested will be charged with assaulting a police office, which faces up to 10 years in prison. We are receiving new video evidence from the site of the murder and eyewitnesses are coming forward. There will be some follow-up tomorrow.

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Komenda Rejonowa Policji Warszawa VII
04-007 Warszawa, ul. Grenadierów 73/75
tel.: 022 603 76 55, fax.: 022 603 75 44

We demand the immediate release of the people detained on May 23 at the Stadium during the police riot. They are guilty of nothing - the police are the agressors and murderers. We also demand that the constant harrassments of immigrants trying to make a living stop.

This is the video from the action yesterday at the police station. Friends of Max, who was murdered by police, speak out. It is in English.

http://cia.bzzz.net/wypowiedzi_imigrantow_na_pikiecie_przeciw_policyjnemu_mordowi

http://zspwawa.blogspot.com/2010/05/death-at-stadium.html

http://wyborcza.pl/1,94898,7930579.html If you click on the photo of Zaczek there will be more photos - you have to click "następne" on the top right of the photos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saqo6AKeVNA

(cz) Polsko: Policejní vražda při zátahu na africké prodavače (+VIDEO)
Zdroj: http://csaf.cz/spravy.php?sprava=1567

V neděli 23. května 2010 provedla polská policie zátah na nigerijské prodejce bot v tržnici poblíž stadionu ve varšavské čtvrti Praga. Jeden muž měl spoutané ruce a policisté ho srazili na zem. Jeho 36letý kamarád z Nigérie, Max, se snažil zasáhnout a zabránit policii v podobně brutálním zacházení s dalšími lidmi. Byl zabit střelou do břicha.

Policie se poté pokoušela pochytat i zbytek panikařících afrických prodejců, většinou původem z Nigérie. Zatímco přijížděli další a další policejní jednotky, vypukly nepokoje. Lidé házeli kameny a cihly na policisty a byly zničeny čtyři policejní dodávky. 32 lidí bylo zadrženo.

Policie ihned poslala svého mluvčího, aby dal dohromady povídačku pro média: policisté byli „obklopeni a napadeni“ gangem agresivních afričanů a museli proto na Maxe vystřelit. Jak bylo později potvrzeno od očitých svědků, realita byla úplně jiná.



ZSP (Svaz syndikalistů Polska) vydal prohlášení a svolal protest na další den. Během dne pak televize udělala rozhovor s Maxovou manželkou a Akaiem ze ZSP – a tak se do médií dostala i jiná verze události.

Max pracoval v Polsku legálně již několik let. Oženil se s Polkou Monikou, se kterou měl tři děti ve věku 2, 4 a 10 let. Svou druhou prací, prodejem v tržnici u stadionu, se snažil vylepšit si svůj mizerný příjem a uživit tak svoji rodinu.



Večer se na místě vraždy sešlo mnoho různých lidí. Bylo přečteno několik projevů a poté proběhla spontánní demonstrace a pochod před sídlo policie, kde byli drženi zbylí zatčení afričané. Protestující zabrali hlavní ulici ve čtvrti Praga a pochodovali k policejní stanici. Zde někteří z Maxových afrických přátel popsali lidem, co se vlastně stalo. Solidární protesty přiměly policii, aby propustila všechny zadržené, ti jsou stále obviněni z napadení veřejného činitele.