Polish FM worried about farmers using pro-Russian slogans in protests
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The Polish Foreign Ministry expresses concern over pro-Russian and anti-Ukraine slogans during protests.
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Pro-Putin slogans seen at a farmers' protest in Poland on February 21, 2014 (Social Media/ X)
The Polish Foreign Ministry expressed concerns on Wednesday regarding the protesting Polish farmers using pro-Russian slogans during their demonstrations and called on the organizers to remove the initiators from the movement.
The statement read: "It is with utmost concern that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes anti-Ukrainian slogans as well as those that praise Vladimir Putin and his war, which have appeared during recent farmers’ blockades."
The ministry added that such actions "cast shadow over Poland" as well as "undermine the reputation" of the protests' organizers.
"In our opinion, it is an attempt to take over the farmers’ protest movement made by extreme and irresponsible circles, probably influenced by Russia's secret collaborators," the statement further read.
Earlier today, the media reported that protesting Polish farmers used slogans that were not only anti-Ukrainian and anti-Brussels but also pro-Russian. A photograph released by Polish media depicted one of the tractors involved in the demonstration bearing a poster urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to establish "order in Ukraine and Brussels, and among our rulers," alongside the Soviet Union flag.
🇵🇱 Polish Farmer Arrested for Asking Putin for HELP
— James Porrazzo (@JamesPorrazzo) February 21, 2024
In democratic Poland, a hard-working, patriotic farmer was arrested for considering President Putin a potential savior of the Polish worker. This is the legal offense of "Justifying Russian Aggression."
His second criminal… pic.twitter.com/dAvfO0p9qg
Earlier this week, Polish farmers on February 12 staged a protest near the border village of Dorohusk by spilling Ukrainian grain on the road, denouncing unchecked Ukrainian food imports. One of the organizers of the protest and a member of the right-wing Confederation alliance, Rafal Mekler, posted photos on social media depicting grain scattered along a motorway in southeastern Poland.
Na Dorohusku z ciężarówek rolnicy wysypali zboże, ciężarówki wracajÄ… na UkrainÄ™. 💪 pic.twitter.com/3VCE8JJQW0
— RafaÅ‚ Mekler (@MeklerRafal) February 11, 2024
Since February 9, Polish farmers have initiated a month-long nationwide protest, barricading roads and border checkpoints with Ukraine. Their primary demands entail halting duty-free imports of agricultural goods from Ukraine and easing EU climate policies. Similar protests have arisen in multiple EU member states, including France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and the Netherlands.
