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When he was elected as a mayor in 2002, Jerzy Kropiwnicki (L) initiated a policy of “zero tolerance” on anti-Semitism in the city, aiming to change the image of Lodz, known in Poland and abroad as the most anti-Semitic city in the country.
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LODZ, Poland (EJP)---Concerned Polish teenagers have held a vocal demonstration against anti-Semitism in Lodz, the second largest city of Poland, displaying pictures of anti-Semitic slogans painted on many of the buildings in the city.
Around 60 youngsters participated in the event held at Lodz city hall on March 14, a prelude to the larger Colourful Tolerance protest on March 21 where hundreds of Lodz residents marched through the city, painting over anti-Semitic and other racist graffiti.
At the city hall demo, the teenagers held up pictures of a number of buildings in Lodz which have been covered with anti-Semitic slogans such as “Jews to the gas!”.
The demo drew differing reactions. Some of the city hall employees stopped to look at the pictures, some of them talked to the teenagers and same of them just walked by without any reaction.
The teenagers appealed to the city’s Mayor, Jerzy Kropiwnicki in a petition. “We appeal to you to intensify fight with authors of graffiti and the graffiti itself,” they said. “We want the anti-Semitic slogans, which are offending all residents of our city, to disappear”.
The petition was distributed among the City Council members.
Mayoral participation
Kropiwnicki is a strong supporter of the anti-racism campaigns and joined the participants in the Colourful Tolerance protest.
When he was elected as a mayor in 2002, he initiated a policy of “zero tolerance” on anti-Semitism in the city, aiming to change the image of Lodz, known in Poland and abroad as the most anti-Semitic city in the country.
Many buildings featured anti-Semitic graffiti such as one illustrating a Star of David hanging on gallows.
The city is covered with this kind of graffiti because it has two football teams, Widzew and ŁKS, and the hooligan elements of their supporters often call each other “Jews”, considered very offensive in many Polish circles.
Former Israeli ambassador in Poland Shevach Weiss even once joked that Lodz is the only city in the world that has two Jewish football teams in the top division.