Poles blocking the border with Ukraine called on Putin for help

This was reported by the police in X (Twitter).

“The immediate response of the Polish police to the demonstration of offensive slogans during the protest of farmers in the Vodzislavsky district. The police and the prosecutor’s office are taking action under Article 256.1 of the Criminal Code”, the statement said.

Polish law enforcement officials emphasized that they would not tolerate violations of the law and incitement of hatred between countries. The aforementioned article provides for a fine or imprisonment for up to two years for inciting hatred “based on national, ethnic, racial, or religious differences”.

It should be noted that during another protest by Polish farmers, one of the protesters attached a Soviet flag to his agricultural machinery and a banner with the inscription: “Putin, restore order in Ukraine, in Brussels, and with our officials”.

The situation was commented on by the head of the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs, Marcin Kierwiński, who confirmed that measures would be taken against the author of the banner.

Reasons for strikes at checkpoints

The protests by farmers have been ongoing for many weeks. They claim that it is related to the decision of the European Commission to extend the suspension of import duties for agricultural goods from Ukraine until 2024. Hungarian farmers joined the Poles and staged a protest near the “Zahony” checkpoint on the border with Ukraine. The strikers insist that products coming from outside the European Union should be subject to the same rules as EU farmers, and Brussels should protect the interests of its own farmers, “rather than trying to destroy the European countryside with its actions”.

Protesters also complain that Ukraine allegedly exports products with an increased GMO content, and they oppose this. However, it is worth noting that the true reasons for border blockades are more political than economic. The organizers of the blockade in Poland, the recently created “Committee for the Protection of Carriers and Employers in the Transport Industry”, claim that the action is economic and not political. However, their actions have not found support among the authorities and other organizations of carriers. Nevertheless, the protest is being actively supported by the consistent anti-Ukrainian and anti-European party “Konfederacja”, whose representatives are the most vocal in expressing anti-Ukrainian statements, fighting against Ukrainian refugees in the media, and already billing for assistance to Ukraine and its citizens.

Photo: open sources