Several non-governmental organizations organized a mock referendum on the “annexation” of the Russian embassy in Warsaw on Saturday to jokingly protest against the country’s actions in Ukraine, AFP reports.

As a sign of protest, the Poles held a mock referendum on the annexation of the Russian Embassy in WarsawPhoto: Wojtek RADWANSKI / AFP / Profimedia

“This season, fashionable overlays. The Russians annexed the occupied territories in Ukraine,” the statement issued by the organizers of this “consultation” reads.

“We decided to go this way and organize a referendum on the annexation of the Russian embassy… in Warsaw,” they continued.

These civil society organizations also referred to a viral joke on social media in which the Czechs are offered to take control of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Both the Czech joke and the Polish initiative were inspired by Moscow’s recent announcement of the annexation of four Ukrainian regions after referendums considered “fake” in the West.

Thousands of people took part in the protest

Waving a blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag and placards with slogans like “Terror Russia, Get your paws away from Ukraine!” and “Stop this evil!”, organizers estimated that around 3,000 people took part in this mock referendum in Warsaw.

The line for voting stretched along the street where the luxurious Russian embassy is located, in front of which stood the ballot box.

They asked: “Should Poland annex the Russian embassy?”. And there are three possible answers – all “yes”.

“This is a much more democratic idea than these referendums on the territory of Ukraine, which took place under (bullets of) guns and rockets,” Maria Volkolup, a 33-year-old Ukrainian lawyer who lives in the Polish capital, commented to AFP.

The organizers of the “referendum” suggested using the embassy building to accommodate refugees, turning it into a cultural center, a zoo, or even a public toilet.

A Russian also took part in the protest

Grigory, a Russian who left Moscow in August, took part because, he told AFP, “he condemns this war that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has unleashed” and wants to show that “not all Russians support him.” .

This 46-year-old man, who moved to Warsaw because he felt complicit in the war while remaining in Russia, greeted it with mockery.

“This is a good idea (…). I believe we should never lose our sense of humor. Because wars are started by very, very serious people,” he said.

The organizers of the event said that they will send an open letter to the leadership of Poland with a request to expel the Russian ambassador, writes AFP. (Source Agerpres)