News from Poland

The following message was received on 18 May from our Polish friends in Inicjatywa Łapy precz od ulicy Dąbrowszczaków (Hands off Dabrowszczacy Street Initiative).

Dąbrowski Brigade street in Warsaw, named after Polish volunteers from the International Brigades, stays!

As you know, due to the ‘decommunisation’ of street names in Poland – in other words removing all the names connected with the left, treated as ‘relicts’ of the socialist realism of the People’s Poland period, and imposing an extreme right-wing historical perspective from the government), plans were made to deprive Polish volunteers of this commemorative name.

For many months we have been fighting to keep the street name in place. Now we have managed to achieve this goal, also thanks to your help. We know that many letters to Warsaw councillors were sent from abroad, we have also received from you many expressions of solidarity and support.

As a result, Warsaw councillors decided to keep the name of the street intact. It is our common success. We are aware that the authorities will strive to change all the names that do not meet the criteria of the right-wing vision of history and to impose their own guidelines onto local governments.

This may happen in September – perhaps then the name of the Dąbrowski Brigade street will be threatened again. Today, however, we have achieved our first victory!

We will continue our efforts to remind and commemorate Polish volunteers. Around July 17 we plan to commemorate the Polish volunteers from the International Brigades in Warsaw. We will inform you about the details as soon as they are available.

We remember the past; we fight for the future! ¡No pasarán!

See www.facebook.com/Bohaterowie1936

Posted on 18 May 2017.