THREATS AND INSULTS AIMED AT THE ‘NEVER AGAIN’ ASSOCIATION
15 June 2023
On 1 June 2023 and in the following weeks, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association received several thousand insults and violent threats sent in response to a statement in which it criticised the participation of a football referee, Szymon Marciniak, in an event organised by the leader of the far-right Konfederacja (Confederation) party, Slawomir Mentzen.
Mentzen is a politician known for the slogan ‘We stand against Jews, homosexuals, abortion, taxes, and the European Union’. Mentzen had promoted his event using the image of Marciniak: he announced on Twitter that Marciniak would attend and make a speech, and the text was accompanied by a photo of the referee in a FIFA outfit (post from 28 May). In addition, the poster announcing the event featured a photo of Marciniak (again in a FIFA referee outfit) and the name of the event (‘Everest’). It took place on 29 May in Katowice.
In a statement published online, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association appealed to Marciniak to distance himself from far-right activities. It was emphasised that the presence of the referee at an event organised by Mentzen was ‘incompatible with the basic values of fair play, such as equality and respect’.
The matter was also considered by UEFA, which received an explanation and an apology from the referee in connection with his participation in the meeting organised by the leader of Konfederacja. Marciniak stated, ‘I had no knowledge that it was associated with Polish extreme-right movement. Had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation. It is important to understand that the values promoted by this movement are entirely contrary to my personal beliefs and the principles I strive to uphold in my life. I am deeply remorseful for any impression that my participation may have contradicted those principles’.
Contrary to false information disseminated by some media, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association did not report the referee Marciniak’s case to UEFA. However, a campaign of hate was unleashed against the organisation, for which the circles associated with Mlodziez Wszechpolska (All-Polish Youth, a far-right group) and Mentzen were largely responsible.
Here are examples of hateful messages that have been received by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association:
- ‘F*cking informers. May others finish you off’,
- ‘F*cking fascists, I hope someone kills you one day for this, snitches’,
- ‘Scum like you disgust me’,
- ‘You are some c*nts. I won’t call you humans because it’s an insult to this species’,
- ‘I really, really hope you all die in some bus/plane accident’,
- ‘I hope your editorial office (or whatever it is) burns down’,
- ‘Every gobsh*te from the NEVER AGAIN Association should be rounded up in the street and beaten up’,
- ‘I hope you c*nts die […]. And in the streets, that someone takes care of you!!!!’,
- ‘For Szymon, you c*nts should die, leftie rags’,
- ‘Leftie dipsh*ts’,
- ‘The whole nation f*cking hates you, rags’,
- ‘We will do everything to end your existence and the clown who came up with this idea will never have a normal life again’,
- ‘I’m disgusted by scum like you. That’s all there is to it and you can snitch on me. With sincere contempt’,
- ‘Only the f*cking anti-Polish red scum is capable of such manipulation. F*ck you in the a*s and let karma kill you on the street’,
- ‘People will literally hunt you if Marciniak loses refereeing because of you’,
- ‘People like in this organisation will no longer need help of specialists. We just have to finish you off’,
- ‘The hools will not forgive you... I don’t want to advise what you should do’,
- ‘Informers, worst human roundworms. You are finished, you snitches’,
- ‘Real dumbf*cks if someone from this sh*t was my neighbour, I’d beat them the f*ck up’,
- ‘Get the f*ck out of Poland, f*cking swindlers’,
- ‘Kick sh*t like you out of Poland’,
- ‘F*cking anti-Polish scum, you are only good at reporting on Poles, communist pigs’,
- ‘F*ck you in the ass, wh*res’,
- ‘May karma get you, you snitching c*nts, and if not, the coming wrath of the Nation’,
- ‘You’re just a piece of sh*t and you should be f*cking kicked out of the stadiums’,
- ‘Anti-Polish c*nts’,
- ‘Nazi Kapos’,
- ‘May you die, you f*cking leftie c*nts’,
- ‘Out of Poland, Putin’s rags’,
- ‘Are you aware that if Marciniak is removed because of you – no one who belongs to your association will be able to go out safely? And it’s not about some imaginary crooked worldview, but hools will send you to hospitals’,
- ‘Pankowski... You’d better start hiding because you may need a forced leave in the hospital. Guys on several forums are already looking for your data’.
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A letter expressing support for the activities of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association was published by numerous non-governmental organisations. It emphasized, ‘We are pleased that despite the attack on the NEVER AGAIN Association, its action turned out to be effective, and the referee Szymon Marciniak dissociated himself from supporting any racist and xenophobic views. Thus, in the Polish public debate, in which the limits of acceptable statements are moving into increasingly dangerous directions, a strong emphasis has appeared which reminded of the values, principles, and responsibility that public figures should follow.
We would like to thank the NEVER AGAIN Association for the courage and determination in pursuing its statutory objectives’.