German police violently detain Polish activists at Berlin WWII memorial, sparking diplomatic anger
Berlin police injured several members of a Polish border-defence group who tried to erect a cross at a site honouring Polish victims of Nazi Germany. Warsaw's consul is investigating as politicians demand a formal apology.
A planned commemoration turns violent
Members of the Polish Border Defence Movement (ROG) travelled to Berlin on Tuesday to place a wooden cross beside a memorial boulder for Polish victims of the Second World War. German authorities had already refused permission for the march. Around 17:00 the group sang 'Rota', a Polish anthem of resistance, and began to walk towards the stone, after which officers moved in forcefully.
- German authorities refuse permission for the Polish group's march to the memorial stone.
- The group sings 'Rota' and begins walking towards the WWII victims' memorial with a cross.
- Berlin police intervene, knocking activists to the ground and handcuffing them.
- Robert Bąkiewicz is searched, his phone taken, and he is placed in a small holding cell inside a police van.
- Jacek Pawłowicz is taken away by ambulance. Bąkiewicz reports dizziness and broken ribs.
The police intervention
Video footage shows officers tackling several participants to the ground, handcuffing them, and punching or kicking them. Robert Bąkiewicz, the movement's leader, was pinned down by five policemen. He was searched inside a police van, his phone was confiscated, and he was put into a small, airless cell inside the vehicle. Other members were also handcuffed and forced to sit on the grass.
They were pressing on us, and the Germans were simply laughing. They shut me in a cage without air. I'm still badly beaten.
Injuries and medical help
Paramedics took Jacek Pawłowicz, a member of the group, to hospital. Bąkiewicz reported being hit with fists and knees, strangled, and having fingers pushed into his eyes and nose. His daughter, Blanka Bąkiewicz, wrote on social media that her father was vomiting and had broken ribs. Bąkiewicz later said he was dizzy and heading to hospital, and promised legal action.
This brutality only shows what regard they have for Poland and Poles. What they did today crosses all boundaries.
The legal risk of shouting 'Gestapo'
During the incident some participants shouted 'Gestapo' at German officers. While the cry is historically common in Polish protests, under German law it can be treated as an insult (Beleidigung, §185 StGB) and carries a fine or up to two years' imprisonment. The same statute applies whether the target is a police officer or a civilian, and a conviction turns on whether a person's dignity was violated.
Diplomatic response
Polish consular staff arrived at the scene. Foreign ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór said the consul was 'establishing the circumstances and the reasons for the detention' and was in contact with local services. Nevertheless, prominent opposition figure Przemyław Czarnek, a former minister and PiS candidate for prime minister, demanded immediate action.
I expect an immediate reaction from the Polish government. The German ambassador should be summoned and Germany should publicly apologise for treating the memory of Polish victims in such a way.
Neither Prime Minister Donald Tusk nor Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski had publicly addressed the events at the time of reporting. The memorial stone itself was installed a year ago as a temporary measure pending a permanent monument, the result of a long campaign by Polish and German figures.
