Videos have emerged of two women being attacked by protesters as they were trying to lay flowers at a monument for Soviet soldiers in Warsaw, Poland on Victory Day. The incident took place at the same memorial cemetery where the Russian ambassador to Poland was doused with red liquid and prevented from commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany during the second World War.
The two women can be seen trying to make it past a group of demonstrators who were trying to prevent them from placing flowers. One of the women attempts to shove her way to the monument as she is pushed onto one of the protesters who were laying down in front of the statue. The woman eventually makes it to the memorial and places the flowers, but a woman with a megaphone comes in and tries to push her off the stone monument, and a scuffle breaks out between them. The video ends with police rushing in to break up the fight and escorting both women away from the memorial.
The incident occurred at the Soviet Military Cemetery in the Polish capital, where on May 9, a delegation led by Russian Ambassador Sergey Andreyev was confronted by protesters opposing Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. The ambassador was doused with red liquid and was ultimately prevented from laying flowers at the memorial.
Moscow has strongly condemned the attack on the ambassador, calling on the Polish authorities to issue a formal apology and arrange a new wreath-laying ceremony and guarantee security at the event.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said the attack was “by all means regrettable” and emphasized that diplomats should be protected “regardless of the policies pursued by their governments.” Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski, however, stated that the pro-Ukraine protesters had legitimate reasons to attack Russia’s ambassador to the country, arguing that the “gathering of opponents of the Russian aggression against Ukraine” was legal and the emotions of the demonstrators were “understandable.”
Earlier, the Russian Embassy in Poland was forced to cancel plans to hold an Immortal Regiment procession this year after the Polish authorities recommended not holding any Victory Day celebrations in light of the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, saying it would be in contradiction with Poland’s laws.
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