On May 27, a demonstration was held at the place that Maxwell Itoya was killed two years ago. Itoya, an immigrant citizen of Nigerian descent, was at the former Stadium market place when police arrested a man who was selling socks. He was thrown to the ground and handcuffed, screaming for help. When Max intervened, he was shot by a cop and bled to death. This happened on May 23, 2010.
Then, the ZSP held an emergency demonstration onto the police station. Other immigrants had been arrested during the incident. The widow of Itoya (a Polish woman, left with 3 children) and others demanded an investigation into the incident and punishment for the cop. The Prosecutor for Praga, Renata Mazur, just recently dropped the case, claiming their was a lack of clear evidence.
(See: http://zspwawa.blogspot.com/2010/05/police-murder-riots-and-protest-against.html
and http://zspwawa.blogspot.com/2010/05/demonstration-against-racism-and-police.html)
On the 27th, people again demonstrated to the police station, demanding an end to police violence.
The place Maxwell was killed had been made into a shrine, with posters and candles, but it was destroyed when the city renovated the area to build the world's most expensive football stadium. Most of the traders who Max had known are long gone from Poland. Not only because of the racism and constant problems with the police: the gentrification of the area and the liquidation of trading caused job loss for thousands of immigrants.
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