Wrocław councillors approve resolution condemning attacks on Ukrainians

Wrocław city councillors have approved a resolution condemning ethnically motivated violence following a heated debate and remarks about "Ukrainians' ingratitude".

Source: Polish news portal Onet, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The draft resolution, submitted by councillors from the Left Forward (Lewicy Naprzód) group, condemned the recent wave of "aggression, hatred and ethnically motivated violence". It also stressed that the councillors oppose "any violence, regardless of the ethnicity of the perpetrator or victim".

"Everyone who has chosen Wrocław as their home and place to live is welcome here, regardless of ethnicity," the resolution states.

The resolution lists a number of incidents in Wrocław, including an attack by three men on a Ukrainian couple and a violent knife attack on a Polish woman by a Ukrainian man. During the debate, councillors also mentioned a recent bottle attack on a Belarusian taxi driver.

Councillors from the right-wing Law and Justice party attempted to add an amendment registering their protest against "generalised accusations of aggression, xenophobia or hatred on ethnic grounds against Poles, Polish women and the local Wrocław community". It also called on the government and Sejm to "immediately regulate the status of Ukrainian citizens of conscription age" who are in Poland without a valid permit, "so that they can return to their homeland and begin their service".

Law and Justice representative Sławomir Śmigielski, who presented the amendment, mentioned the enormous amount of aid Poland has provided to Ukraine. "And what did we get in return? Enormous ingratitude. President Zelenskyy has named a military unit after the heroes of the UPA. We believe this is a slap in the face for Poland and the Polish people," he said.

Robert Suligowski, a councillor from the Left Forward group, said Ukrainians living in Wrocław cannot be held responsible for the actions of the Ukrainian government. "These people expect our support; they should feel at home here. We should be greeting them with smiles and flowers, not knives and bottles," he said.

The debate was closed, although not all the councillors had an opportunity to speak. The council eventually adopted the resolution. Twenty-four councillors voted in favour, and Śmigielski of the Law and Justice party voted against. Six councillors abstained.

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