Illegal dies easier

They can be beaten with impunity, they can be frightened and robbed. They can work for a dirt cheap, they can be raped and abused. Illegal don’t go to report for police. The law do not protect illegal. The law hunts them, catches them and deports them. From every bad things, illegal is afraid of police and city guards the most. Even the ticket man in the tram is a representative of terror authority. Illegal risks his life running away from control. Illegal does not have documents, because they can point the place of deportation. Illegal is distrustful. Everything what he says might be used against him.

Polish police shot a Nigerian. It happened on Sunday, 23rd of May in Warsaw, by the Stadium market. Nigerian trader sold illegal goods. Police was fighting against economic crimes.

Nobody warned them. Police came in civil clothes. An African man start to run away. An officer caught him, push on the ground, started to put the handcuffs. The friend of African man came to them. He was protesting. Officer shot. The bullet reach the hip part, the bleeding could not be stopped. Nigerian man died.

Illegal products – shoes with the popular brand labels. Crime is a partnership in breaking the law of intellectual property.

An intellectual property is a base of present global economy, as far as board and immigration control is a base of UE safety policy. Not every Nigerian is trading. Some of them come to Stadium to meet each other. Like this Sunday. When they found out that one of them was killed, some of them attacted police cars. Police came very fast. They caught all blacks. Market managament cooperated with them. Guard let every people to leave the place, but not the blacks.

32 people were arrested. They were kept for 48 hours. 25 of them is accused of active assault or aggressive behavior on a police. They said, they were not treated well. They could not use toilet, they were not given a water, they were pushed all the time. Now they don’t want to have anything in common with the police. On polish internet forums polish citizens shout: “They broke the law – deport them!”

On Sunday evening, 23rd of May, there is almost no people on Stadium. There is only a wind which blows thorn cartoons and scattered roofs of market stands. There is still a lot of water, which was trying to remove the blood stain in the tunnel under the train station. There is a group of people sitting in front of the entrance to the tunnel. One of them is a leader. The one in bright shirt. They are laughing. Part of conversations can be heard: „yes, Gazeta Stołeczna”, „I left it in police car”.

There is a young white woman crossing the Stadium. She carried black baby in her arms. For a second she disappeared in the tunnel. After a while she came back the same way. Do u know what happened here? He was selling shoes only.. He was my husband’s friend. He had three children. What they are going to do now? They catch them every single day, bit them with the police sticks. But why they kill? To kill… her voice stuck in her throat. African wives have to be strong.

Early afternoon Monday morning, 24th of May. Market is running. Not many people is there. The tunnel is empty. It’s dry now. In front of it two people are talking. Polish and Indian. Do you know, where did it happened? Somewhere here – they pointed behind them. He should have not used the gun – Polish said. I have a friend – policeman. There is no more candles in a small shop next to train station. Not at this time.

Two man entered the tram next to stadium. It’s shown, they attend gim. There is no niggers today. They shot. The arrested all of them yesterday. They change the issue. Romanian boy – 8 or 9 years – sings clumsily. Then he is passing the passenger with his hand stretched. One the guy said: tell your mother to go to work. The elder passenger replied: you are young but so stupid, there is no work for old people.

The investigation will last for long. Nobody is officially speak about deportation, but accusations are very grave. When the investigation will be over, few people will remember what happened, because public opinion is managed by media and their memory is very short.

Less spectacular acts of police violence will not be shown for public opinion. And if there will be any – there will also be a quick response about an officer who was killed bravely in action.

It has to be said right now: police is responsible for this death. They started deterrent acts against unarmed people. At best they were not prepared for it, at worse they were acting with the belief that they can always use the gun. More probably is the second one.

Teresa Święćkowska

This text was published in the 84th number of quarterly "Bez Dogmatu" ("No Dogma")