Polish Nationalism in Britain

The SOYMB recently posted an article from the Independent newspaper about a planned strike of Polish migrant workers. The blog repeated the statement made by George’ Byczynski who opposed the intended strike action.

We received in the comments section of the post further information which is worth making as separate post in itself.

“An item in the 8th August issue of The Independent cites Jerzy Byzczynski – or ‘George’ Byczynski, as he appears to call himself at the moment – calling upon Polish workers in the UK to donate “Polish blood” instead of participating in a planned migrant workers’ strike. Your journalist lauds this as a “protest of a more positive kind”.

Byczynski is a spokesperson for Patriae Fidelis (“loyal to the fatherland”), a UK based front organisation for the National Movement, which is a coalition of Polish far right and neo-fascist groups such as the All-Polish Youth and National-Radical Camp (ONR). Although Patriae Fidelis often presents itself as an innocuous support group for Poles living in the UK, a slogan on its website gives you an inkling as to which way the wind blows: “I am Polish, therefore I have Polish duties” – a quotation from Roman Dmowski, chief ideologue of the pre-war National-Democratic Party, which was violently hostile to Jews and the workers’ movement.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Jerzy Byczynski and his latest front group, the British Poles Initiative, are no fans of strike action and would rather donate some “Polish blood”. Polish migrant workers should ignore Byczynski’s scab call and instead participate in the migrant strike, which will hopefully be joined by workers of other nationalities.”

Maciej Zurowski

Once more the blog is reminded that nothing is as it seems.