AFTER ANGRY SCENES outside a Dublin hotel where Polish far-right politicians were meant to meet last night, the meeting went ahead at a different venue.
At the hastily re-organised meeting, nationalist and ultra-conservative Grzegorz Braun claimed that protesters were attempting to deny the rights of his voters.
“Some people oppose my being here,” he said. “My voters have rights and they should be entertained. Instead they are being questioned and they are being denied in Ireland.”
Braun was speaking alongside Marian Kowalski of the National Movement, a group which uses strongly nationalistic symbols, black uniforms and whose supporters have been seen using a Fascist salute.
Both men are running for the Polish presidency.
Kowalski told last night’s meeting that Russia is using ‘anti-fascism’ as an excuse to invade Ukraine and compared the Dublin protesters to ‘the agents of Putin in Ireland’.
One of the organisers, seen below in between the two men, also denied the accusations of fascism.
Polish people living in Ireland can vote in the 10 May presidential election and Andrew Trala, who’s been living in Ireland for 10 years, came to hear both men speak.
He says he feels it’s important to vote and says it’s unfair to equate extreme nationalism with Fascism.
But protesters who attempted to stop the meeting taking place last night say platform should not be given to radical views.
The National Movement are strongly anti-immigration and protester Cathal Donnelly said it’s important not to let such sentiment have a voice because of the hurt it can cause to migrant communities.
Braun and Kowalski are expected to hold another press conference in Dublin this morning.
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