Poland expels 63 Ukrainians, Belarusians over concert troubles

Messages of support and solidarity with Ukraine flash across digital advertisements in an underground shopping arcade in Warsaw, Poland on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.

WARSAW, Poland — Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that Poland will expel 63 Ukrainians and Belarusians for causing trouble at a rap concert.

The individuals were behind “disturbances, aggressive behaviour and certain provocations” at a Warsaw performance on Saturday by Belarusian rapper Max Korzh, Tusk told reporters.

The 57 Ukrainians and six Belarusians “will have to leave the country voluntarily or by force”, Tusk said, adding that everyone must respect the law no matter their nationality.

Poland “cannot allow anti-Ukrainian sentiments to be stirred up,” added Tusk, whose country has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

“A conflict between Poland and Ukraine would certainly be a gift for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”

Footage shared online showed spectators storming the arena during Saturday’s rap show at the national stadium. Local media reported there were 70,000 people there.

Police said in a statement that “officers detained 109 people for numerous offenses and crimes such as drug possession, assaulting security personnel, possession and carrying of pyrotechnic devices, and trespassing on the grounds of a mass event.”

Social media images appeared to show a concert-goer waving the flag of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a guerilla group that aligned itself with Nazi Germany. The symbol is banned under Polish law.

“We saw that various flags and symbols were displayed there,” police spokesman Robert Szumiata told independent news channel TVN24. “We collected all this evidence and sent it to the prosecutor’s office.”