Thursday 7 June 2012

Banner against the Euro 2012

On June 8, the Euro Cup will start in Warsaw. ZSP and the Tenants' Defense Committee have called a demo to protest against the spectacle, which cost Poland 26 billion euros, while the government is forcing austerity measures on the people.

Yesterday, a banner was dropped and leaves cut off a palm tree on the roundabout where the demo will take place. It reads "Bread not Games", which is not only the name of the demo, but also something which became a slogan all over Poland. (Demos will also be held in Poznan, Wroclaw and Gdansk.)

The action was carried out with the knowledge of the artist who put up the artificial palm. (No, Poland does not have a tropical climate.) In a statement sent to the press, the anonymous people who made the action wrote that the government is ignoring the needs of people and instead concentrating on commercial profits. It mentions how the city spent billions on the stadium and other things related to the Euro, but does not bother with public housing, shuts down schools, privatizes cafeterias and gets rid of Social Help Centers. It also mentions that the Euro profits a few, there is very limited access to the matches and something like martial law is in place in parts of Warsaw, with public streets and areas shut. They write that it is clear that the image of the city is more important to the politicians than the living conditions of its residents. They also write that they cut some leaves off the palm to symbolize budget cuts.

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