Grieving Poland holds public memorial for air crash victims
Source: Agencies |
April 18, 2010, Sunday
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SOME 100,000 Poles filled Warsaw's main square yesterday for a memorial to the 96 people killed in a plane crash last week, standing silent for two minutes before emergency sirens screamed and church bells pealed.
The crowd in Pilsudski Square waved white-and-red Polish flags with black ribbons of mourning affixed to them. A massive white stage, a large cross in the center, was flanked by oversized photos of the dead, including President Lech Kaczynski.
The names of the dead were read aloud, starting with the president and his wife, Maria, while Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the president's twin brother and former prime minister, looked on. Others at the service included former President Lech Walesa, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and acting President Bronislaw Komorowski.
"Our world went crashing down for the second time at the same place," Komorowski said of the crash near Russia's Katyn forest, site of a World War II massacre of Polish officers.
The ceremony is the first of two days of ceremonies and was to be followed by a funeral Mass for the first couple at St John's Cathedral in Warsaw.
Among the mourners was Teresa Winkler, 76, who came to honor a president "who took care of the people forgotten by society," such as aging World War II soldiers and forgotten Solidarity activists.
"He was a real patriot and a real Pole," Winkler said. "I am afraid it will be hard to find another president like Kaczynski."
Nearby was a group of Chechen refugees who said they were there to honor the first lady for her charity work and efforts to help them.
A state funeral for the president and his wife is set for today but some world leaders canceled plans to go, citing the volcanic ash cloud hanging over Europe, closing numerous airports.
Delegations from Egypt, Macedonia, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand and Pakistan have canceled plans to attend, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said.
However, nearly 100 dignitaries are expected, including US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Czech President Vaclav Klaus will travel to Krakow by train and car.
The crowd in Pilsudski Square waved white-and-red Polish flags with black ribbons of mourning affixed to them. A massive white stage, a large cross in the center, was flanked by oversized photos of the dead, including President Lech Kaczynski.
The names of the dead were read aloud, starting with the president and his wife, Maria, while Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the president's twin brother and former prime minister, looked on. Others at the service included former President Lech Walesa, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and acting President Bronislaw Komorowski.
"Our world went crashing down for the second time at the same place," Komorowski said of the crash near Russia's Katyn forest, site of a World War II massacre of Polish officers.
The ceremony is the first of two days of ceremonies and was to be followed by a funeral Mass for the first couple at St John's Cathedral in Warsaw.
Among the mourners was Teresa Winkler, 76, who came to honor a president "who took care of the people forgotten by society," such as aging World War II soldiers and forgotten Solidarity activists.
"He was a real patriot and a real Pole," Winkler said. "I am afraid it will be hard to find another president like Kaczynski."
Nearby was a group of Chechen refugees who said they were there to honor the first lady for her charity work and efforts to help them.
A state funeral for the president and his wife is set for today but some world leaders canceled plans to go, citing the volcanic ash cloud hanging over Europe, closing numerous airports.
Delegations from Egypt, Macedonia, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand and Pakistan have canceled plans to attend, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said.
However, nearly 100 dignitaries are expected, including US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Czech President Vaclav Klaus will travel to Krakow by train and car.
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