Poland will expel 63 foreign nationals 57 Ukrainians and six Belarusians following violent disturbances at a rap concert in Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Tuesday.
The expulsions come after a Saturday night performance by Belarusian rapper Max Korzh at Warsaw’s national stadium descended into chaos. Footage shared online showed spectators storming the arena during the show, which drew an estimated 70,000 attendees. Local media reported widespread disorder, with some individuals engaging in aggressive behavior, provoking other concertgoers, and violating stadium rules.
Tusk said the individuals identified were involved in “disturbances, aggressive behaviour and certain provocations.” He emphasized that Poland’s laws apply equally to everyone, regardless of nationality, and that those involved “will have to leave the country voluntarily or by force.”
While reaffirming Poland’s strong support for Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Tusk warned against allowing the incident to fuel animosity between the two countries. “Poland cannot allow anti-Ukrainian sentiments to be stirred up. A conflict between Poland and Ukraine would certainly be a gift for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” he said.
Police said 109 people were detained during the concert for various offenses, including drug possession, assaulting security personnel, carrying pyrotechnics, and trespassing on restricted event grounds. Officers also confiscated prohibited items and gathered evidence for ongoing investigations.
One particularly controversial moment emerged when social media images appeared to show a concertgoer waving the flag of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) a WWII-era guerrilla group that collaborated with Nazi Germany. The display of such symbols is banned under Polish law due to their association with wartime atrocities.
“We saw that various flags and symbols were displayed there,” police spokesman Robert Szumiata told TVN24. “We collected all this evidence and sent it to the prosecutor’s office.”
The incident has underscored tensions surrounding large-scale public events in Poland, where high-profile concerts often attract multinational audiences. Authorities say the expulsions are aimed at maintaining public safety and upholding the law, while also preventing political exploitation of the disturbances.
As the deportations proceed, Warsaw officials are calling for calm and restraint, stressing that the actions target individual lawbreakers not entire communities.
