The Poznań prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the possible public promotion of fascism by several men who walked down a Poznań street in early August, holding flags with Celtic crosses. It will also analyze the incident that took place at the Poznań city hall.
“Gazeta Wyborcza” reported that on August 8, despite the lack of consent from the Poznań city council for a demonstration, seven men holding white and red flags with Celtic crosses marched down Półwiejska Street. A fragment of the march was recorded by a TOK FM radio journalist. “The film recorded by the TOK FM journalist features a song by the neo-Nazi band Konkwista 88,” wrote “Wyborcza.” They played the music from a portable speaker.
A report on the march was submitted to the prosecutor's office by Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, an MEP from the Left, noting that she had filed it “in connection with the open promotion of fascist symbols in public space”.
The spokesman for the District Prosecutor's Office in Poznań, Łukasz Wawrzyniak, announced on Wednesday that investigators had initiated proceedings in the case of the aforementioned march. The investigation is being conducted in terms of the provisions concerning the public promotion of totalitarian ideologies. According to the Penal Code, committing such a crime is punishable by up to three years in prison.
The prosecutor's office is investigating whether there was any public promotion of totalitarian ideologies.
– The police presented us with materials from the march on August 8. We are looking into it and we have to assess whether the elements of this crime were actually fulfilled – said the prosecutor.
Interrupted visit to the city hall
On Tuesday, local media reported that two men, including the organizer of the August march, came to the Poznań City Office. According to the report of the wpoznaniu.pl portal, they wanted to find out why the city authorities did not provide patronage to the event they were organizing. Both wore white and red armbands with Celtic crosses. The same symbols were visible on their T-shirts and the white and red flags they brought with them.
“As soon as I saw that their attire promoted fascism and insulted national colours, I informed them that I was interrupting the meeting,” said Patryk Pawełczak, director of the mayor's office, as quoted by the wpoznaniu.pl portal. The official added that he would notify the prosecutor's office about the matter.
The spokesman for the Poznań prosecutor's office noted that investigators will be looking into both the march on Półwiejska Street and its organizer's Tuesday visit to the city hall.
The public promotion of totalitarian ideologies, such as communism or Nazism, is punishable by up to three years in prison under the Penal Code.