Several hundred gathered in Warsaw on the four month anniversary of the April 10 air disaster last night and called for an immediate explanation into the cause of the crash of the TU 154 which killed Lech Kaczynski and 95 others.
Wearing red and white arm bands - the colour of the Polish national flag - the protestors, many who make up the Defenders of the Cross outside the Presidential Palace, called for justice to be handed out to those responsible for the crash.
An appeal was read out to “defend the honour of President Lech Kaczynski” and demanded “justice be given to those who slander his good name”. It also said that the presidential plane was not protected properly and the causes of the tragedy should be decided by a court of law.
Opposite the protestors outside the Presidential Palace was a counter demonstration, demanding the cross be taken to the St Anne’s church down the road. Police said “verbal skirmishing” took place but there was no reports of anything more serious.
Earlier a mass was said for the victims of the air disaster at the John the Baptist cathedral in the Old Town.
A rival demonstration began at 17.00 CET, also in the capital, this time by supporters and MPs from the Democratic Left Alliance which called for a “defence of Poland‘s Constitution”, which they believe has come under attack by the cross defenders in that it blurs the line between Church and State.
The Democratic Left Alliance appealed in Warsaw today to preserve the secularity of the state and support the Constitution.
At a rally held in one of the capital’s main squares, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) collected signatures under a letter of protest.
SLD leader Grzegorz Napieralski said it was the government which was responsible for ending the conflict around the cross in front of the Presidential Palace.
“If we believe in God, let’s preserve this deep in our hearts but let’s not make it into a political demonstration,” said Grzegorz Napieralski.
He also accused politicians on the right of using religious symbols for political aims which, he said, had led to disrespect of the Constitution and scenes such as those before the Presidential Palace.
(pg/ek)
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