Belarusians in Wrocław raising funds for taxi driver assaulted over his accent
August 26, Pozirk. A group of Belarusians living in Poland’s Wrocław have appealed for 15,000 zlotys ($4,000) in public donations to help an Belarusian taxi driver who was attacked on August 19 because of his “Eastern accent.”
The group has raised more than 3,100 zlotys as of Thursday afternoon through fundraising platform zrzutka.pl.
According to the campaign description, the victim has been unable to fully return to work for several weeks, suffers from headaches and has noticed a deterioration of his eyesight. He will be examined by an ophthalmologist on September 24, and it will then become clear whether additional examinations or treatment will be required.
The 66-year-old man will reportedly spend the collected money on medical services, a new pair of eyeglasses, an onboard video recorder and his daily needs as his capacity to work remains limited.
Local police reported on the incident on August 26. After hearing the driver’s accented Polish, his 23-year-old passenger allegedly started showering the man with offensive comments about his nationality and finally struck him on the head with a glass bottle.
The suspected assailant, whose nationality was not reported, was arrested and would face up to five years in prison, if convicted.
Reports of xenophobic attacks in Poland on emigrants from Eastern European countries, especially Ukraine, have been frequent in recent months. In July, a man was arrested for punching Belarusian Olympic medalist Aliaksandra Hierasimienia in an unprovoked attacked at a bus station in Warsaw. The story sparked outrage from online commentators, but Polish authorities denied that Herasimenia had been targeted because of her national identity.
Man arrested in Poland for attacking elderly Belarusian taxi driver over his accent
August 26, Pozirk. A 23-year-old man was arrested in Poland’s Wrocław for attacking an elderly Belarusian taxi driver because of his “Eastern accent,” according to local police official Aleksandra Freus. After hearing the driver’s accented Polish, the passenger allegedly started showering the 66-year-old man with …
