The European Parliament’s annual minute’s silence for the victims of the Holocaust on Wednesday was interrupted by Polish MEP Grzegorz Braun, who instead focused on Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
– Let us pray for the victims of the Jewish genocide in Gaza, Braun declared and then repeated his call once more.
BREAKING:
Polish Member of Parliament Grzergorz Braun interrupted a moment of silence for Holocaust victims at the EU Parliament with a call to prayer for “The victims of the Jewish genocide in Gaza.”
He remarked that “all victims are equal, but some are more equal than… pic.twitter.com/UUD8FaKaEU
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) January 29, 2025
– Thank you very much, thank you very much, for your prayers for the victims of the Jewish genocide in Gaza, Braun repeated once more before the minute of silence ended.
According to Braun, he did not interfere with the purpose of the ceremony, but rather wanted to draw attention to how some victims of war crimes and genocide are valued more than others.
“I shared the observation that all victims are apparently equal, but some are more equal than others”, he explained afterwards.
Nie „zakłóciłem”, uzupełniłem – wezwaniem do modlitwy za ofiary żydowskiego ludobójstwa w Gazie. Wykluczony z obrad przez @EP_President podzieliłem się uwagą, że najwyraźniej wszystkie ofiary są równe, ale niektóre równiejsze. #Braun2025 https://t.co/YFGgKoSILE
— Grzegorz Braun (@GrzegorzBraun_) January 29, 2025
Dragged out of the room
The move was not appreciated by the President, Roberta Metsola, who shortly afterwards ordered Braun to be dragged from the room. Braun’s outburst has been described by critics as “hateful rhetoric”, with Dutch Christian Democrat Bert-Jan Ruissen, among others, calling for Braun to be punished and subjected to the “highest possible sanctions” that the EU body can impose.
Braun is a member of the national conservative party Korona, the “Crown”, and is running for president in Poland later this year. He has come under fire for strong statements against the Jewish lobby and for demolishing a sign for an official press conference on COVID passports when they were launched in Poland.
Grzegorz Braun will run as a candidate in the 2025 Polish presidential election. pic.twitter.com/gcGTR4Ll8Y
— Tony.Chin (@tonychtonych) January 11, 2025
Perhaps Braun’s most high-profile action in the past was when he used a fire extinguisher to put out a Jewish candlestick (menorah) placed in the Polish Parliament for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
– The people participating in the Satanic cult should be ashamed, he declared in connection with this event.
Following the incident, Mr. Braun was suspended for six months and legal proceedings were initiated. However, Braun later followed up the high-profile action by condemning Jewish racism against European nations in the Polish Parliament.
