of their freedom and privacy, psychological terror, disrespect for the pain and anger of the victims". They were charged with insulting a monument and vandalism. The statue was ultimately removed but charges of insulting a monument were not dropped. In 2019, some teenagers were arrested for riding skateboards on to the victims of the Smolensk disaster in Warsaw. In late July 2020, Stop Bzdurom placed rainbow flags and anarchist bandanas on statues of Nicolaus Copernicus, Józef Piłsudski, the Mermaid of Warsaw, and Jesus in Warsaw. The activists released a manifesto, stating, "As long as the rainbow scandalizes anybody and is treated as inappropriate we solemnly pledge to provoke". The action shocked some Polish Catholics, including Law and Justice Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who called the actions "desecration" and posted photographs of himself in front of the Jesus statue. On 5 August, three activists involved in the flag drapings were arrested for insulting religious feelings and insulting monuments, charged, and released after about 40 hours. Warsaw's mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, stated that he disapproved of the flag draping but criticized the arrests for violating the rule of law. According to police, the rainbow flag insults some monuments but not others. Opponents of prosecution in such cases say that rainbow is not an offensive symbol, and the activists did not intend to profane the monument. In August, rainbow flags were also hung on monuments in Warsaw and other parts of Poland, for instance Poznań prosecutor Magdalena Włodarczak refused to prosecute the hanging of a flag on the because of the "lack of features of a prohibited act". In September 2020, activist Małgorzata Pingot was questioned by police after having hung a rainbow flag over the Copernicus statue in Piotrków Trybunalski on 12 August. Police had been present when the flag was raised but did not intervene. In the past, various articles had been placed on the monument, and the head was painted green, without a criminal complaint being made. Criticism Criticism of the law argues that it impedes freedom of expression and that it was adopted by the totalitarian Communist government. See also Offending religious feelings References Further reading Freedom of expression in Poland Law of Poland