Where do the attacks on Postoj come from

An antisemitic campaign in leftist circles is taking its toll.
Where do the attacks on the Grassroots Cultural and Social Center Postój come from?

The day before our second anniversary, leftist antisemites spray-painted hateful graffiti on our neighborhood and on the front mural about overcoming addictions. This mural is a very important project for us and symbolic for the local community. They drew extreme hate symbols equating the Star of David with the swastika, wrote phrases like „Postój supports Israel fascists,” „no pride in genocide,” and used the symbol of three arrows [1]. A month earlier, they destroyed our art gallery on the palisade, a display case promoting antifascism, and posters. Anarchy symbols and the word „Zionists” (used as an insult) appeared. The smear campaign against Postój started much earlier, especially after October 7, 2023. It included a spam campaign targeting artists and visitors, encouraging a boycott of our space. This was initiated by a group called 2.10 Crew from Rozbrat. Later, it escalated into public call-outs and hate waves from post-leftist and anarcho-egoist circles.

When false accusations of „Zionist fascism” and supporting genocide failed to gain traction, they began accusing us of physical violence and threatened us with police reports and destruction. They called for burning down our space and causing greater damage. These actions, along with downplaying or denying antisemitism, were supported by union activists, other activists, and artists [2]. The attackers accuse us of being anti-Palestinian but regularly lie, distort our words, and silence important facts. For example, they ignore our clear opposition to Israel’s war crimes and any war, our support for Palestinians and other groups in their fight for self-determination, and our efforts to help civilians in Gaza. We sold benefit albums during events and financially supported fundraising initiatives.

So, where do these attacks come from? They stem from our solidarity with all civilian victims, including Israelis, and our clear opposition to calling the massacres of October 7, 2023, acts of liberation. We call Hamas and Islamic Jihad what they are—totalitarian terrorist organizations [3]. In the context of the conflict, we are inspired by the words of Murat Karayilan, a key figure in the Democratic Confederalism Revolution:
„Israel has the right to exist, and Jews have the right to an independent state, just like Palestinians. We support UN resolutions for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a two-state model. Peace treaties are essential and positive. It’s important to have peaceful agreements between Israel and Arab countries. We believe democratic confederalism can solve Middle Eastern problems. This region has a rich history of peaceful coexistence and harmony” [4].

Supporting Israel’s existence is Zionism. Comparing it to Nazism or blaming it for all the world’s problems [5] is another version of antisemitic conspiracy theories, which blame Jews for social and economic issues. Our collective has varying opinions about the meaning of Zionism and identifying with it. We don’t believe we need unity on this matter, as we all dream of a world without wars or ethnic cleansings, where every group and individual has full self-determination rights.

Despite the attacks, Postój continues to grow, and more people visit us than before. We endure these tough times—we feel fear, anger, sadness, and sometimes despair, facing crises. At the same time, we strive to take care of each other through mental health initiatives, emotional support work, and regular group meetings with a specialist.

Antisemitic violence does not come out of nowhere. The attacks on us come from various groups, often hostile to each other, but united by an antisemitic narrative intensified after the events of October 7. It has been repeatedly warned where such rhetoric leads [6].

One prominent example is Nidal Hamad—an agent of Assad, and thus Putin, a star of the anti-Israel movement in Poland. He has been invited as a speaker, including in Wrocław. Hamad openly claims that Israel has no right to exist and advocates for bloody, armed genocide against Israelis. He calls pro-peace Palestinians traitors [7]. Under his influence, solidarity activists hung a banner from the windows of the University of Wrocław that read “Solidarity with Syria,” adorned with the flag of Assad’s regime—one of the bloodiest modern regimes [8]. The Wrocław Anarchist Federation posted interviews with the Fauda group, which supports Hamas. Their propaganda graphics, depicting the murder of Jewish civilians, are Hamas materials with only the logo replaced [9]. Rozbrat openly supports Hamas [10] and promotes Maksymilian Królikiewicz, leader of pro-Palestinian protests in Poznań. He slanders Rojava, calls for fighting the “Zionist occupation of Poland,” supports the murder of all Zionists, and backs the new Polish Workers’ Party—a Stalinist and antisemitic organization [11]. Similarly, Nina Michnik slanders Rojava while supporting Islamists [12].

These and similar actions, combined with older activists leaving the movement, have led to the antifascist march on November 11 falling into the hands of Leninists. One of the most significant successes of the antifascist movement turned into a parade of red flags and authoritarian communists—Socialist Action, which publishes Lenin audiobooks. Its leader, Łukasz Kozak, in an interview with Nidal Hamad, asked, „As a Marxist, can I join Hamas?” [13].

When criticizing specific actions, we do not aim to discredit the entire pro-Palestine movement. Opinions within our collective vary. Some members participate in demonstrations and occupations, while others are more critical. However, we see many shared goals and believe in the value of dialogue, constructive criticism, and change instead of mutual exclusion and antagonism.

It is both saddening and terrifying to see support for such actions from large NGOs. FemFund financed meetings with Hamad, who denies the rape and femicide committed by Hamas—not only against Israeli women but also Palestinian women tortured and murdered by Hamas’ totalitarian regime. Moreover, Hamad promotes Assad, Iran, and attacks on Ukraine. Similarly, Kolektyw Kefija spreads falsehoods. On their Instagram, they published a highlighted story „apologizing” for previously accusing Hamas of rape [14]. The same individuals who deny documented cases of horrifying sexual violence organized the “Candles for Palestine” march a few days before November 11. Under the flag of Islamist Totalitarian Iran, they carried portraits of terrorists, including a Hamas bomber who blew himself up on a public bus in Jerusalem filled with women, elderly people, and children [15]. These individuals, working hand-in-hand with Leninists, co-organized the November 11 march. In their speeches, they openly called for purging the community of Zionists [16].

We prefer to clean swastikas off walls, not paint them. To fight against antisemitism, not practice it. To oppose regimes and genocides, not show solidarity with them, glorify regime agents, or hang their flags. We are not alone in this. We have been attacked for the support we received from German antifascists, the so-called „antideutsche,” who are labeled Zionist fascists based on a video by Putin’s propaganda outlet .Red, formerly Redfish. (A similar kind of Putin propaganda disguised as leftist content in Poland is spread by the Strajk EU portal). As expected of Putin’s propaganda, the video is full of manipulation and lies.

In reality, German antifascists fighting antisemitism, many of whom do not identify with the term „antideutsche,” are one of the most active antifascist movements globally. They consist of hundreds of places, collectives, and thousands of activists. For them, a strong opposition to antisemitism is part of their daily antifascist, feminist, and leftist struggle. We recommend statements from various groups and places in Germany: Rote Flora from Hamburg [17], Conne Island from Leipzig [18], About Blank from Berlin [19], and statements from antifascist groups in Dresden [20] and Leipzig [21]. We also recommend voices from Social Ecologists [22], Murray Bookchin himself [23], and a letter from leftist activists, professors, and scholars in the UK [24]. Links are available on our website.

It should be noted that the attacks on Postój come from groups that have been hostile toward us since we began. Rozbrat, with its long and troubled history of authoritarian actions against smaller groups, selling off co-opted initiatives (e.g., Odzysk), covering up and tolerating sexual violence, and supporting the brutal attack on Syrena [25], should not be calling for boycotts of other places. Similarly, it’s hard to take seriously call-outs and boycotts from anarcho-egoist movements like Kolejny Anarchistyczny Pej, which conducts interviews with Nidal Hamad, who promotes violence against women and genocidal visions [26].

Because of the growing problem of antisemitism and the violence stemming from it, some members of our collective have joined the Social Initiative Fighting Against Antisemitism (SITWA): https://sitwa.org.pl. Those interested in discussion or constructive criticism are invited to contact us via email at ocsk-postoj@riseup.net. We also welcome anyone who wants to work with us to co-create OCSK Postój. Together, we care for one another, create art and culture, and engage in social and political action for a fairer, truly democratic world, fighting against all forms of hatred and discrimination.