REANIMATION OF DEMORACY
THE MARCH OF EQUALITY GOES ON!
Demonstrations of solidarity with the city of Poznan all over Poland

November 26th (Saturday) and 27th (Sunday) 2005

Elblag, Gdansk, Krakow, Lodz, Poznan, Rzeszow, Warsaw

The "Poznan events" - first the cancellation of the March of Equality
by Poznan authorities and then the brutal pacification of the peaceful
demonstration by the police - have shown that Poland is
definitely not
a place where law is fully respected. Public authorities have proved
their disregard for constitution and the citizen rights. In this case,
the decision-making bodies have been clearly motivated by ideological
criteria and vested political interests. This way, not only are
citizens deprived of the possibility to express their beliefs and
ideas, but the authorities let the fascist groups and the police get
away with attacking innocent people. If the authorities have not broken
the right to organize public assemblies, the attack on the participants
of the peaceful demonstration would never have happened. Let us remind
you, that on the 11th of November, an aggressive demonstration of a Neo-
Nazi Radical and National Camp was legal and protected by the police.
If you take into account the participants of the cancelled Poznan march
who got beaten up, there the police definitely was not interested in
protecting anybody at all.

Polish democracy requires resuscitation. On the next weekend - November
26th (Saturday) and 27th (Sunday), in some Polish cities - among
others, in Elblag, Gdansk, Krakow, Lodz and Warsaw peaceful
demonstrations as a sign of solidarity with Poznan will take place.
Those demonstrations are happening because we want to protest against
an escalating process of limiting and violating human rights in Poland.
This is the very moment to show the newly elected government that we do
not agree to the new restrictions that reserve freedom only for the
chosen citizens who represent right wing ideas.

In Poznan, exactly one week after the cancelled demonstration, at the
same place, we are organizing a march in defense of democracy and
freedom to demonstrate. The March of Equality goes on!

The March of Equality did not just get stopped at Polwiejska street in
Poznan, the site of November 19th demonstration. The March of Equality
goes on and spreads democracy all over Poland.

We say NO to discrimination based on age, gender, disability, sexual
orientation, skin color, religious or political beliefs
We say NO to the violation of basic human and citizen rights.
We say NO to the ban on peaceful demonstrations and the possibility to
express our beliefs freely.

We say YES to democracy, tolerance and solidarity with discriminated
groups.
We say YES to the freedom of assembly.
We say YES to the freedom of speech.


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The National Committee "Solidarity with Poznan"is comprised by the
following organizations: Democratic Union of Women (Gdansk), The
Anarchist Federation (Gdansk), The Youth Federation of Labour Union
(Gdansk), eFKa Foundation (Krakow), Culture for Tolerance Foundation
(Krakow), Spaces for Dialogue Foundation (Gdansk), Campaign Against
Homophobia, Academic Association of Gender Studies, Gdansk University,
informal group Lodz Gender (Lodz), Women's Rights Centre (Lodz),
Young
Centre (Gdansk), Democratic Party (Gdansk), The Alliance of Women of
March 8th (Warsaw), Lesbian (LBT) Coalition, The New Regeneration
Movement, Polish Social Democrats (Gdansk), Young Socialists (Gdansk,
Rzeszow), The Leftist Union (Gdansk), The Greens 2004.