Language / Frustrated Polish Learner -- people in Poland try to speak to me in English [31]


There's some truth in that. Speakers of Polish generally have little or no experience of conversing in their own language with those who speak it imperfectly.

UK, Ireland / Why can't unemployed Polish people on benefits just leave UK and go home please? [240]

It does. White British people (generally) don't learn foreign languages because they don't need to. It isn't lack of ability or laziness, just lack of practical need.

Language / Frustrated Polish Learner -- people in Poland try to speak to me in English [31]


How would you react to native speakers of English reacting in such a way to yourself (assuming your English to be non-native)?

Language / Frustrated Polish Learner -- people in Poland try to speak to me in English [31]


In that case, you must speak it perfectly.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

I get the idea that because a number of Legia fans were arrested in Rome, the Polish police decided to round up and charge an equal number of Lazio supporters in Warsaw. Don't seriously expect justice and fairness.

UK, Ireland / Why can't unemployed Polish people on benefits just leave UK and go home please? [240]


Ah well, I will just have to learn to copy your calm, collected, erudite, rationality, I suppose.

UK, Ireland / Why can't unemployed Polish people on benefits just leave UK and go home please? [240]


I, personally, have posted neither opinion.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

Why Lazio supporters would appear to have been carrying common kitchen knives is beyond me.

Furthermore, the video of the 'attacks' is hardly clear.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

It isn't clear at all.

And the Polish police must be pretty pathetic if they feel threatened by small kitchen knives.

They'd find a bigger 'arsenal' if they raided my Granny's flat.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


I'd like to see the evidence of their having done anything wrong.

Nothing conclusive has been filmed or photographed.

There must have been scores of photographers in Warsaw looking for some great action pictures.


I most probably would.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


What do you mean, "I don't know that."

If there's evidence of their misbehaving, then let's see it.

These days, everyone has access to camera in their mobile phone, and there are professional photographers present who would like to make some money from a good picture.

The so-called monitoring camera film shows nothing conclusive whatsoever. Much of the 'arsenal' of weapons turns out to be ordinary kitchen knives.


Brilliant, Peter, mate.

And if you don't do any of the above, do you lose all your rights as well?

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

But no-one has yet shown the evidence of crimes having been committed.

If the police shot you dead, should we have a laugh about this too?

After all, all I need do is claim you are a member of some 'neo-Nazi terrorist gang' and then the shooting would be justified.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

The 'sharp objects' were allegedly found in a search of their hotel rooms.

If they had had the inclination to run around stabbing people, then a kitchen knife would have been an odd choice of weapon.

Then again, the Italians aren't exactly renowned for their fighting qualities. So if these people were indeed 'hooligans', then they may well have been hopeless, pathetic and incompetent at hooliganism, and armed themselves with 'girlie' knives. So unlike their Legia counterparts.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

Have a good look at the knives in the video. Some have serrated edges. Either the Italians were quite spectacularly stupid and didn't have the faintest idea how to injure anyone with a knife, or whatever was allegedly found in their hotel rooms had not been purchased with the intention of killing or injuring.

If anything, much of what the police put on display was the kind of cutlery you are likely to find in any hotel.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


With serrated edges ?????


The 'weapons' were allegedly found in their hotel rooms. They weren't actually being carried to a football match. And most of the 'weapons' look like the kind of cutlery you are likely to find in any hotel.

Please have a look at the video and judge for yourself.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


I wouldn't, so I guess we have a difference of opinion here.

Do you seriously believe some hardcore hooligan nutcase would select a serrated knife as his weapon of choice?

Two, possibly three of the knifes shown are the kind that hooligans might arm themselves with, the rest you might find in any kitchen, anywhere.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

That's the point. If the hooligan nutcase had to arm himself, why would he choose such a knife from the hundreds available at just about any hardware store?

No doubt Bolt can run pretty fast in wellington boots, but they would hardly be his footwear of choice.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


I'm not an expert on buying knives in Warsaw, but the idea of buying one with a serrated edge seems pretty strange.

I'm sure most hypermarkets have a pretty good range of knives.

If these were an organised hooligan gang, how difficult would it have been for them to get hold of something like a stanley knife?

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


Really? Looks more like a meat cleaver to me.

A man hacked off the head of Lee Rigby with a kitchen knife

• 
  
  

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

What interests me is that with over a hundred and fifty arrested we would expect to see some serious damage somewhere.

I have yet to see any evidence of the Lazio fans 'terrorizing' Warsaw'.

With all the photographers and so on present where are the photos of this 'hooliganism'.

I suspect that the police find it easier to arrest and detain Italian football fans than far right independence day marchers.

How much damage was caused that day and how many were arrested?

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

Thanks. It's pathetic.

The only damage I've heard the Italians caused was an upset waste-paper bin.

If anyone knows of any other damage/injuries caused, then please post it here.

Independence day march: burning rainbows, attack on squat, attack on Russian embassy = 72 arrests

Lazio fans: upset rubbish bin =153 arrests.

We might imagine that twice the arrests = twice the damage.

I don't trust the police in Poland. Take the incident in Gdynia where the police arrested and tried to blame Mexicans for their being subject to what amounted to a racial assault.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


Exactly. It should be the greater the threat/damage/disruption, the greater the police activity. The Warsaw police don't see things like that. For them, the easier it is to arrest people, then the greater the number they will arrest.

Maybe the Met should follow the tactics of their Warsaw counterparts. Zero tolerance for Wimbledon crowds, and just allow Millwall to police themselves. It would certainly make their jobs easier and more pleasant.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


What did they do in Warsaw then, Paulina, to merit 150+ arrests?

But nice to see you looking at evidence for a change, even if it isn't relevant to the case.

It's curious to learn what people have/haven't heard of, even those with no apparent interest in football.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


That's probably what happened. Overkill. If they wanted to prevent trouble all they had to do was stay with the Lazio fans. You can't arrest people for what you imagine they might do.


They are lazy. The foreigners (particularly Italians) were easy targets.

Btw my Grandad had a cushy job in WW2. Guarding POWs. (Italians).

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


You don't arrest let alone charge people as a preemptive measure. It goes against all concepts of justice.

Would you arrest all men on the grounds that they are capable of rape?


'Read' being the key word here. But no serious damage to persons or property reported.

I mean what I wrote. You refuse to look at evidence when it doesn't suit your argument.

You don't have any basic conception of 'justice', do you. What is relevant to any case is what the person or persons concerned did, and not the actions of others some years previously.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

Fair enough. Who knows, you might be a potential Brevik. Better safe than sorry, eh.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


Normal fans? Why?

Paulina, all that's lacking in your mountain of irrelevancies is any kind of proof that those arrested had done anything wrong .....

150+ arrests, no damage, no-one injured, no nothing.

If anyone can show me any damage or injuries caused by the Lazio 'hooligans' in Warsaw, then I'll change my opinion that Polish police are a bunch of incompetent cowards.

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


Either there is evidence of wrong-doing on the part of those arrested or there is not.

Either the Polish police are competent or they are not.

Or should the Polish police be allowed to just do as they please without being criticised, for fear of offending Poles?

Whether I am right or wrong, or rather whether the Italians arrested were guilty of wrongdoing, is all that interests me.

Why not confine your comments to the facts, which are that 150+ Italians were arrested without any serious disturbances having taken place.


The 'weapons' were allegedly found in hotel rooms. Those allegedly carrying them were deported to Italy before the match. None of the main group of supporters who were arrested on the day of the match were carrying weapons.

I don't trust the Polish police. Do you know about the incident in Gdynia, where a group of Mexican competitors at the tall ships races were attacked by football hooligans? (This was in August). The police didn't intervene, and arrested the competitors rather than the hooligans. The following day they falsely claimed it was the Mexicans who started the violence.

The incident led to the disciplinary proceedings against senior officers.

If you don't believe me I can provide evidence. And if I provide the evidence will you withdraw the allegations of xenophobia?

Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]


Let's hope that some of those arrested make use of this right, then.