Flags sporting fascist symbols, anti-Semitic songs, slurs against rival teams, graffiti on the walls of Łódź, Kraków and many other cities. In 2011 we saw the infamous banner “Jihad Legia” during the match with Hapoel Tel Aviv. Resovia hooligans painted a graffiti in Rzeszów that read “Being a Jew is a shame” against their rival team, Stal Rzeszów fans called Resovia fans “f***ing Jews”. The soccer chant „Hamas, Hamas, Jude auf dem Gas!” („Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas!”) sung by Legia hooligans during a match against Widzew Łódź. „Jude, Jude Cracovia” chanted by fans Ruch Chorzów, the match’s hosting team. Why being a soccer fan involves anti-Semitism, racism and violence and does it have to be this way?

This topic was discussed in one of the meetings of “Forum at Chłodna” series by Michał Okoński (deputy editor-in-chief of “Tygodnik Powszechny”, creator and blogger at “Futbol jest okrutny”– Soccer is Cruel), Rafał Pankowski (cultural sociologist, scholar of the far right movement, coordinator at the Center for Monitoring Racism in Eastern Europe, deputy editor-in-chief of Nigdy Więcej – Never Again magazine) and gen.Adam Rapacki (general of the police, former undersecretary of state of Polish Ministry of Interior who was chaired the Sports Events Security Council). The meeting was hosted by Zuzanna Radzik, Forum for Dialogue board member.