WAR-SORE

Rioting broke out on the streets of Warsaw last Sunday (23rd) after police gunned down a Nigerian immigrant.

Police swept down on Nigerian traders in the Praga district of Warsaw. As one man was handcuffed and shoved to the ground by cops, a friend tried to help him and got shot in the process. The man shot was a 36-year-old merchant from Nigeria, and the gun shot proved fatal. This immediately led to clashes with the police who fell on the panicked traders and started rounding them up.

As more police arrived, riots broke out. People hurled bricks and stones at the cops and four police vans were destroyed. A total of 32 people were arrested before cops managed to clamp their order on the situation. 25 of them are now facing up to 10 years in prison for assaulting a police officer.

Later on that day people assembled at the site of the shooting. After some speeches were made the crowd held an impromptu demonstration and headed to the police station where the detainees are being held. They demanded the immediate release of the people imprisoned and an end to the continued harassment of immigrants. Those detained were released on bail the following morning but still face charges.

This saturday, a solidarity event is planned for Warsaw residents to gather and rename the plaza next to where the incident took place, in honor of Maxwell Iyatoya, the man killed.

* See www.cia.bzzz.net/wideo_smierci_na_stadione_video_of_death_at_the_stadium and use your search engine to translate www.solidarnizmaksem.bzzz.net