48 LGBT activists accused of fighting with the police in Warsaw. Everyone has already left command

48 LGBT activists arrested during Friday scuffles with the police in Warsaw have heard accusations of active participation in the gathering, 5 of them also have other charges. All detainees have already left their headquarters.

LGBT activists organized on Friday in Warsaw protest against the court’s decision to arrest the left-wing activist Margot for two months (formally: Michał Sz., who identifies himself as a woman). After Margot was arrested, there were scuffles with the police, as a result of which 48 activists were detained.

Now the press spokesman of the Warsaw Police Commander Makonde. Sylwester Marczak he informed that “the activities with the detained have already been completed. All people have already left command. “

As he stated, 48 activists were charged with active participation in the gathering, and 5 of them were also charged with other charges: damage to a police car and violation of a policeman’s inviolability. Police surveillance was applied to the latter.

Let us recall that on Friday afternoon the Campaign Against Homophobia was organized in front of the Warsaw headquarters protest against the court’s decision to detain two months in prison for LGBT activist Małgorzata “Margot” Sz. (formally: Michał Sz.), then the protesters passed on Krakowskie Przedmieście, where there were clashes with the police.

One day later spokeswoman for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw Aleksandra Skrzyniarz reported that “Michał Sz., An LGBT activist, is suspected of having committed on June 27, 2020 a hooligan act involving participation in a crowd, brutal attack on an activist of the Pro Life Foundation and destruction of property belonging to the foundation “.

As previously reported by the prosecutor’s office, the activist was alleged that during the June incident knocked Łukasz K. over onto the pavement, what caused his back and left wrist injuries as well he jerked and pushed the man “in order to force the aggrieved party to stop recording the course of the event.”

“Destruction of property” was supposed to consist in damage to the car belonging to the foundation: the value of the losses was – according to the investigators – over PLN 6,000.

According to LGBT activists, harmful and untrue information about homosexuals was emitted from the van.

As reported by the prosecutor, Michał Sz. aka Margot faces up to 5 years in prison.

Originally towards Sz. police supervision and bail in the amount of PLN 7,000 were applied, but on Friday, after a complaint from the prosecutor’s office, the District Court in Warsaw decided to two-month detention.

When Margot was detained in Krakowskie Przedmieście on Friday, others While sitting on the road, activists tried to block the passage of the police car in which the activist was sitting. The car was then surrounded by a police cordon. When the car with the activist started moving, there were clashes with the escorting police. Several people fell to the ground and were held down by officers.

The protest continued after the police car left Margot.

Activists were detained by policemen and some blocked police cars in which detained persons were present.

Protesters shouted slogans: “Fascists, the police – one coalition”, “Solidarity is our weapon” or “Close one, the next will come”. They had rainbow flags with them, many of them had rainbow colored masks on their faces.

According to a spokesman for the Warsaw Police Headquarters, nadkom. Sylwester Marczak, the crowd gathered in Krakowskie Przedmieście he behaved aggressively and obstructed the actions of the policemen. The demonstrators were also supposed to damage the police car.

According to the spokesman, after the arrival of additional forces, the police started actions against the most aggressive people.

The protesters, however, drew attention to police brutality.

“I was brutally grabbed by the neck and shoulders. I was in shock. Completely surprised. I managed to ask the policeman why he was arrested and then he replied: ‘You dude, not those numbers with me’ and began to choke me. I saw the light because someone with a camera ran up and I felt that only then had I stopped suffocating me “ – Iwo Kondefer, one of the detainees, reported in an interview with “Gazeta Wyborcza”.

“Three (policemen) were drawn to and only when the MPs intervened, the policemen stopped using violence against me “ – added.

“I saw photos taken by Klaudia Jachira, of a young person with a policeman’s shoe on his face “ – he noted in an interview with “Wyborcza” Krzysztof Śmiszek, MP from the Left, who, along with other MPs, was on Friday night at the police station at ul. Wilcza, where some of the detained activists went.

“We are dealing with a mistake by the police, which should react quickly or in a calmer way to solve it. Once again there was an escalation of the conflict, to show the strength of the police, and I have the impression that it was deliberate. It is in my opinion the action that aims to create a chilling effect: three times, citizen, you will consider in the future whether you want to raise your hand on values ​​that PiS holds sacred. For me it is something characteristic of a quasi-police state “ – commented Śmiszek.

He also stated that in his opinion “There are strong suspicions of violation of the fundamental civil right of the right to a defense lawyer from the first moment, that is, stopping “.

As he said: “defenders (detained – RMF’s note) they were at the police station and were prevented from contacting clients. It was only after a few hours that some of the defense lawyers could talk to their clients, but only for a while. “

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