Foreign students urged to stay indoors as Polish nationalists march
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
18.04.2016 08:56
The Białystok University of Technology urged its foreign students to stay indoors over the weekend owing to a march of Polish nationalists in the north-eastern city.
Members of the National Radical CampPhoto: wikimedia commons/efka de
Members of the so-called National Radical Camp (ONR) gathered in Białystok to mark the 82nd anniversary of the group's foundation.
The university's international relations office sent a message in English to all foreign students, noting that “a march of a nationalist group will take place in Białystok.
“It is [the] National Radical Camp, which declares ideas of racism.
“Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not leave your dormitories from 11:00 am (Saturday 16/04) till 3:00 am (at night Saturday/Sunday).
“In order to avoid any unpleasant incidents please do not go out to town and do not walk on the campus.
“Stay inside the resident halls.”
ONR had apparently chosen Białystok as the destination for its jubilee march as a play was being staged in the town that grappled with enduring problems with racism in the city.
The play, 'White power, black memory', drew protests from other nationalist groups such as the All Polish Youth movement.
In May 2013, the city's mayor had pledged to tackle problems with racism in the city, following a rash of incidents. A programme was launched aimed at dealing with the issue.
ONR Legacy
The National Radical Camp was founded in 1934, but it was considered so extreme by the then Polish authorities that it was banned outright just three months after it was launched, following a wave of anti-semitic activity.
The ONR was revived in 1993 and officially registered as an association in 2012.
It is among the groups that organises an annual march in Warsaw on Polish Independence Day (11 March). The last Independence Day March was held under the slogan 'Poland for the Poles, Poles for Poland'. (nh/pk)