Grzegorz Braun leads anti-Semitic demonstration in Jedwabne and sparks outrage

On Friday, July 10, 2026, shocking episodes took place during celebrations for the 85th anniversary of the massacre of Jews in Jedwabne, Poland. Grzegorz Braun, accompanied by his supporters, displayed a cross with the phrase “Jewish-Russian Sovietism”. The group also made demands for the arrest of the Chief Rabbi of Poland, sparking outrage among those present. “Poland is turning brown,” lamented a visibly shaken woman.

To ensure the safety of the event, the police deployed more than a hundred officers to Jedwabne, also imposing a ban on drone flights within a half-kilometer radius of the ceremony. Agents from the State Protection Service, the Israeli Mossad and the US Secret Service also participated in the operation. This collaboration in events of international relevance is a common procedure on high-risk occasions, especially with the presence of heads of state and diplomats.

The official ceremony in memory of the 85th anniversary of the murder of Jews took place, as usual, at the monument erected on the ruins of the old barn. Diplomats from the Israeli and US embassies, along with Senate President Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska and Sejm President Włodzimierz Czarzasty, were present to pay tribute to the victims. President Karol Nawrocki was represented by minister Wojciech Kolarski, from his cabinet.

The Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, in collaboration with the board of directors of the Jewish Community of Warsaw, extended an invitation to everyone for the ceremony. There were no speeches during the event. Rabbi Schudrich, Father Wojciech Lemański and Pastor Michał Jabłoński of the Evangelical Reformed Church offered a prayer in memory of the deceased. The names of the victims were read, and in a gesture of respect, flowers and stones were placed on the obelisk, and candles were lit. As in previous years, residents and the mayor of Jedwabne did not attend.

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Protest led by Grzegorz Braun near the tribute site

At the same time, on an adjacent plot of land, Grzegorz Braun and his supporters contested the participation of Poles in the crime. The group met at a property linked to the Osuchów Foundation, established by Braun in 2015. One of the central points of the demonstration was the installation of a five-meter-high cross, accompanied by a sign with the phrase “Jewish-Russian Sovietism”.

During the meeting, Braun directly attacked the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, whom he referred to as a “fraud.” He publicly demanded punitive measures against the rabbi, including his arrest and expulsion from Poland. Participants in the official celebrations described Braun’s actions as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the ceremony. “I’m devastated. I didn’t imagine there would be so much scum here. Poland is turning brown,” expressed one.

Demonstrations with anti-Semitic content mark the date

Nearby, on another plot of land located opposite the monument, the question of Polish involvement in the Jedwabne massacre was raised by right-wing groups. These were organized around Wojciech Sumliński, a controversial journalist who denies any Polish involvement in the historic crime.

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The program organized by Braun included a series of debates, lectures and discussions with the aim of questioning the role of the Poles in the massacre. Participants also called for the resumption of exhumations and the transfer of the victims’ remains to a Jewish cemetery. Among the speakers were Tomasz Sommer, editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Najwyższa Czas”, Włodzimierz Skalik, deputy for the Confederation of the Polish Crown, and Braun himself.

An exhibition titled “Jedwabne’s Five Lie Makers” also opened. It displayed panels with images of Rabbi Schudrich, former presidents Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Lech Kaczyński and Bronisław Komorowski, as well as Jan Tomasz Gross, author of the book “Neighbors”, published in 2000.

The controversy surrounding the story of the Jedwabne massacre

The President of the Sejm, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, spoke to journalists and was keen to emphasize that “history cannot be distorted”. He added: “None of them, whether the crime in Volhynia or the crime committed in Jedwabne.” Wojciech Kolarski, on behalf of President Karol Nawrocki, clearly distanced himself from the far-right events taking place in the immediate vicinity of the monument.

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