Crisis on the Polish-German border: An Investigation #
Perceived Border Crisis and Political Responses #
- The video introduces the idea of a "crisis" on Poland's western border, with immigrants allegedly entering from Germany.
- Right-wing populists: Alarm about an unspecified number of illegal migrants pushed from Germany, potentially turning Poland into a "Parisian suburb," although the video suggests they are largely absent (e.g., "10 people from Somalia on Mickiewicza Street in Szczecin").
- Liberals: Express concern about "pumped-up militias" undermining state authority and referencing the rise of illegal ideologies in Poland.
- The video's creators aimed to investigate the reality of the situation at the border by joining the "Border Defense Movement" (Ruch Obrony Granic - ROG).
Joining the "Border Defense Movement" (ROG) #
- The process involved a simple Google search, leading to a volunteer questionnaire.
- The questionnaire inquired about the volunteer's city, car ownership, need for accommodation funding, and preferred border crossing.
- After submitting "strong points" and confirming no criminal record, a response was received within 48 hours.
- Volunteers were assigned to the Słubice section, where there had been a notable conflict between journalists/activists and Border Guard officers.
- Enrollment involved a "conspiratorial" tone, with instructions to send only name, surname, and arrival time via phone.
- Volunteers were repeatedly warned against speaking with the media, with only the coordinator or a designated person authorized to do so.
- The ROG feared media manipulation and journalistic provocations.
- Initial deployment was redirected from Słubice to Kostrzyn, 30 km away, for further instructions.
The Reality of the "Crisis" in Kostrzyn #
- The ROG coordinator, Daniel Arciszewski, instructed volunteers to go to a border crossing where "their people" (a couple from Wadowice) were already present.
- Volunteers were tasked with distributing leaflets to cars stopped due to alternating red/green lights on a bridge, aiming for "very pleasant contacts."
- The coordinator mentioned the arrival of a group of "nationalists" or "National Armed Forces" members for night shifts, typically 4-hour rotations.
- Legality of the picket and interaction with services: The coordinator stated they report their presence to local police and Border Guard, clarifying they cannot verify identities but can only register and call the police if suspicion arises.
- Instruction for encountering migrants: Volunteers were advised to maintain a distance of at least 2-2.5 meters due to potential threats (e.g., knives) and to call the police.
- Actual migrant sightings: The coordinator admitted to not seeing migrants in Kostrzyn recently, only "three people from Gniezno" previously. The main task was to take photos and videos and call the police.
- Encounter with the Wadowice couple: The couple had driven 500 km to guard a "xenophobic banner" and a Polish flag on a fishing rod for several hours in the heat, dissatisfied with the lack of action and turnout.
- Disillusionment among volunteers: The couple expressed dismay at the lack of support from politicians and local officials who had previously made public appearances but did not show up at the border. They described the situation as a "show-off."
- Protocol for encountering migrants: Volunteers were instructed not to approach migrants but to call 112, claiming to feel "threatened" by a "culturally alien group," even if the migrants were peaceful. This was explained as necessary for authorities to respond, as local police might otherwise ignore calls.
- Lack of actual migrants: The video protagonist spent hours alone, without witnessing any migrants, distributing leaflets.
Public Reaction to ROG's Presence #
- Locals had mixed reactions to the ROG's presence.
- One local referred to Kostrzyn as a "communist city" where "80% are commies," suggesting a lack of support for the ROG.
- A cyclist expressed suspicion about the police's intentions, suggesting they were there to "drive [ROG] away."
- Many people showed support (thumbs up, "go get 'em") when leaflets were distributed, but some displayed anger, sadness, or pity.
- A woman confronted the volunteers directly, stating, "You really have something wrong with your heads... You're making problems for us... We are ashamed of you. Really... This is sick." She asserted that border protection is the job of specialized services.
- The protagonist felt "stupid" and feared being perceived as racists aiming to dismantle the EU and Polish state.
- The protagonist was left alone at the post, feeling forgotten by his superiors.
The Arrival of Robert Bąkiewicz and the ROG's Objectives #
- Bąkiewicz, a prominent nationalist figure, arrived with his social media specialist and a TV Republika commentator.
- Bąkiewicz reinforced the importance of "recording, phones are weapons, information is weapons."
- He strictly forbade speaking to "liberal-leftist media" (TVN, Polsat, Onet), urging volunteers to send them away.
- Bąkiewicz claimed their presence had "paralyzed" Germany and "stopped everything," changing the course of events in Poland.
- He discussed plans for adapting their strategy, potentially shifting to mobile patrols and using drones if the government increased border controls.
- Bąkiewicz stated that the ROG's actions forced the redirection of significant resources to the German border, attributing this success to their efforts and acknowledging it as a political victory against the government.
- He revealed that the viral video of an Afghan man from Gubin, which garnered millions of views, was a deliberate media operation to "hit Tusk, the Germans, everyone."
- Bąkiewicz admitted to feeling empathy for the Afghan man but stressed that "we must not show weakness."
- He dismissed the idea of accepting migrants who had legally crossed the EU border first in Poland, advocating for "obstruction in papers."
Further Interactions and Ideological Views #
- Bąkiewicz acknowledged the low turnout of volunteers (200-300 people) despite the alarm about the migration crisis.
- He emphasized the importance of the "information front," urging volunteers to record everything, especially any perceived provocations or interactions with authorities.
- He instructed volunteers to pretend to record even if their phone wasn't working, to "demoralize" the other side.
- The concept of "soft pressure" through visible presence was discussed.
- Discussion on demographics and "Lebensraum": The protagonist's companion expressed concerning views on the changing ethnic structure of Western European cities, suggesting a "genetic defeat" of white people and advocating for migrants to "huddle together" in their own enclaves, but still expressing concerns about their potential political influence and desire for "Lebensraum" in Poland.
- He cited examples of Arab and Black populations' "lack of impressive achievements" in science and culture, placing them at "medieval" or even earlier stages.
- He believed the white race still had a chance to develop, referencing the US and Mexican immigration as beneficial because "Mexicans are a white race."
- Reaction of locals to these views: A Kostrzyn resident expressed skepticism about the "crisis," stating she commutes to Germany daily and has never seen migrants trying to cross, feeling safer there than in Poland. She confronted the volunteers about their lack of credentials and the political divisiveness.
- Differing views on the "crisis": A man with German license plates, who had migrated to Germany 50 years prior, expressed anger at the ROG, stating that if people like them had been at the border then, he "wouldn't have survived the life he lived."
- Police presence: The police maintained a visible, calm presence, at one point taking photos of themselves "doing nothing."
- Task for volunteers: The ROG coordinator instructed volunteers to collect as many videos as possible of people showing "thumbs up" to counter the narrative that locals did not support them.
- Confrontation during recording: Attempting to record supporters led to a physical threat from a passerby, causing the volunteers to stop recording.
Conclusion of the Experience #
- The protagonist felt their presence was merely part of a "party happening" and a "propaganda game."
- His companion, despite earlier radical statements, displayed a nuanced perspective, expressing empathy for suffering migrants and questioning the ethics of pushbacks. He also saw the ROG movement as genuine "bottom-up" social activism, uncorrupted by "Western money."
- The companion admitted he would be too "soft" to abandon someone suffering, such as a mother and child in winter, and acknowledged potential consequences for intervening.
- The narrative concludes with the protagonist feeling that his involvement was part of a "propaganda game with unpredictable consequences."
This report details the perceived crisis on the Polish-German border, the experience of joining the "Border Defense Movement," the reality of their operations, public and internal reactions, and the ideological underpinnings of the movement.
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