## mail vom 07.04.05 weitergeleitet/fwd by LPA Berlin <mailto:lpa@free.de> ## source : cube@zigzag.pl

POPE INSANITY IN POLAND

Unfortunately, I can say that what's happening here is some sort of mass insanity. They've created a cult of personality of the Pope and the country has to be in mourning for 7 days. There is great pressure on people to conform with this, whether or not they want to do it. Most of them want it seems. Some things that have happened (in no order of importance):

- some people I have contact with through work have all of a sudden become deeply religious. This means they are at mass twice a day, in the street at night at mass vigils, watching scenes from the Pope's life on a big screen TV. All of a sudden they need to confess but the lines are too long and they are anxious and upset about when they will be able to meet with the priest.

- people are requested to do all sorts of pope-related memorial things. Some memorial shrines have appeared in some workplaces and people start praying during work. If you refuse to do a pope-related thing (like Zaczek who wouldn't put a black ribbon on his work), you become a pariah.

- some people don't give a fuck but can only tell it to people like me. People are extremely afraid to say their opinion. Even IMC Poland closed down for 24 hours.

- work places were shut down Tuesday and will be Friday. Hourly workers are not given compensation for this and some other people will have to work on Saturday. Some people don't want to lose their incomes or work on Saturday but they are berated for wanting to work.

- Cinemas and most bars and discos are closed down and have been for almost a week. Some owners who tried to start up were threatened. Others cancelled simply out of fear they'd be attacked. They did all sorts of strange things, like took MTV and films off the TV for a while - the stations were black.

- I have noticed a marked increase in violent and agressive behaviour around the city - I witnessed about 15 strange incidents yesterday.

Well, it's just a few things but it's really sick pathology.

Laure (Warsaw)

<alter-ee list> 08.04.2005

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