UK: Polish migrants strike and give blood to battle prejudice

Polish people in the UK participated in a protest against the lack of recognition of Polish workers in the UK economy, outside the Houses of Parliament, while a blood donation was organised as a way to battle negative perceptions by the British Poles Initiative group across the country, Thursday. Polish immigrants organised a one-day-strike through social media. Hundreds of Polish workers subsequently gathered outside the Houses of Parliament, where they condemned the anti-migration rhetoric coming from certain political groups in Westminster, including the Conservative government. The counter-event was a blood donation was organised by the Patriae Fidelis, a UK based organisation for National Movement, which is a collation of far-right and nationalist groups such as the All Polish Youth and Nationalist Radical Camp (ONR). Jerzy Byzczynski, chair of the group, spoke of the tight relations between the UK and Poland. He remarked that Polish people spilt blood in the Battle of Britain in the WWII and were donating blood for Britain in the modern day. He added that Polish people migrate to the UK to "work, study and contribute to the society," not take benefits.