The Polish leader didn't mince his words. "We must wage a resolute fight against this violence, because thugs, hooligans, and this culture of violence are becoming increasingly brazen and insolent — and also because they have received political support," Donald Tusk said on Tuesday, before a Polish cabinet meeting in Warsaw. The liberal-conservative prime minister said he deplored the fact that "more and more such incidents" are taking place all over Poland.
Tusk's comments came in response to an incident in Wroclaw two days earlier, in which three Polish men brutally beat up a young Ukrainian man and his girlfriend on the street. Cellphone videos show the attackers kicking the Ukrainian man as he lies on the ground. The woman was also hit, sustaining injuries to her neck and ear.
The attack came after an argument in a shop; the attackers took exception to the couple's Ukrainian accents. Polish police acted swiftly: Two of the attackers, both of whom have previous convictions, are already in custody, and a third is being sought.
Tusk warned that such incidents negatively impact Poland's image abroad. The country's reputation was greatly enhanced by its willingness to provide assistanceafter the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. This could be destroyed, said Tusk, "if we allow thugs, hooligans and common criminals to beat and humiliate people just because they have a slightly different accent."
