The Regional Court for Warsaw-Śródmieście has acquitted seven women who were blocking nationalists' march in 2017 and got roughed up. They were accused of "disturbing the course of a legal assembly". The verdict is not legally binding.
In October 2018, nine women, who had been protesting against the nationalists' march on 11 October 2017, were ordered to pay 200-zloty fine each for "disturbing the course of a legal assembly".
The court had issed an order (without trial). Seven women appealed against the decision and faced the court. The first session took place in June 2019, the second followed in September.
On Thursday (October 24), the The Regional Court for Warsaw-Śródmieście found the women not guilty.
The verdict passed by the court of first instance is not legally binding. The plaintiff, in this case it's the police, has the right to appeal against it within seven days.
Forcibly removed
On 11 October 2017, a group of women were forcibly removed from the route of nationalists' march, after organising a protest nearby the Poniatowski Bridge. On the footage from the incident, a group of woman can be seen on the route of the march, holding a banner reading "Stop Fascism", and later on sitting in the street and chanting anti-fascist slogans.
A scuffle with the march participants broke out. The footage shows the women being dragged on the asphalt and pushed. More aggressive men were being stopped by fellow-marchers and the security. At one point, they cordoned off the sitting women. The police did not intervene. March participants removed them from the road. One of the women required medical help as she had hit her against the asphalt.
The nine women reported to the police as victims, but they were accused of blocking the march. The remaining protesting women reported themselves to the Warsaw Police Commander, but the notification remained unanswered.
Another inquiry
At the same time, another inquiry has been launched by the prosecutor's office, by the request of the protesting women, into physical assault on them during the nationalists' march. The case had been discontinued in February 2018, but that decision was overruled by the court.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: tvn24