Burning the rainbow
Eastern approaches 2013-12-20
Summary:
OVER 200 people, both gay and straight, turned up in Plac Zbawiciela, a vibrant square in central Warsaw on November 15th, to kiss and lay flowers under the charred remains of what had been, up until a few days ago, a pretty 25-metre wide art installation.
The rainbow, made from 23,000 artificial flowers, was seen by many in the Polish capital as a symbol of gay rights and tolerance. It was set alight by rioters during a march of the far right on Polish Independence Day on November 11th.
As the rainbow burned brightly, young men, clad in hoodies and balaclavas, waved Polish flags and chanted “God, Honour and Fatherland”. It was a stark reminder of the far-right’s antagonism towards any minority they regard as a threat to their vision of an ultra-nationalist Catholic Poland.
The far right’s march was one of 11 marches in the capital that day, which was another illustration of just how clannish and fragmented Independence Day has become in recent...Continue reading