They don’t want Lidl’s investment at home. They intend to protest in Germany
The group “Obrońców Gietrzwałd” conducts an action against the Lidl Distribution Center. Protests are to take place not only in Poland.
In the town of Gietrzwałd in the Olsztyn poviat in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, the Lidl Distribution Center is to be built. The investment has been suspended for now because a group is protesting against it, which is referred to as “Gietrzwałd defenders”.
Its participants explain that the investor was not obliged by the local authorities to present an analysis of the environmental impact. A religious argument is also heavily raised – the town is popular among pilgrims in connection with the Marian apparitions and the center would be built at a distance of about a kilometer from the sanctuary.
Protest against Lidl in Gietrzewałd. Will the action move to Germany?
The case is waiting for a solution in court. On April 30, the Local Government Appeal Board at a secret meeting refused to annul the environmental decision of the commune head of the commune of Gietrzwałd Jan Kasprowicz. A group of politicians applied to the Supreme Audit Office for inspection of documents and procedures for issuing permits for the construction of a distribution center. It is not yet known whether the initiative will be taken.
Meanwhile “Defenders of Gietrzwałd” do not lay down arms and organize protests under Lidl stores in various Polish cities. As it turns out, they decided to expand their action and They also intend to protest under German stores.
– This is an international matter, Lidl is a great company with a global range. We talked about the protest option at Lidl’s headquarters in Germany. Several hundred or maybe a few thousand people who will stand before Lidl say: We do not want this facility in Gietrzwałd – explained former MP Jerzy Szmit from PiS, who belongs to the parliamentary team for the defense of Gietrzwałd.
The head of the team Włodzimierz Skalik said that The manifestation is to take place on June 14. It is not yet known which of the Lidl stores in Germany are going to protest “defenders of Gietrzwałd”.
Lidl responds to the allegations
Meanwhile, Lidl’s representatives in mid -February in a message sent to the editorial office of “Wprost” explained all doubts. “We are currently not conducting any work related to a potential investment in the indicated location,” it was assured. Lidl Polska added that “information about the planned landfill is false.” It was also ensured that “warehouse halls are safe and quiet” and have a minimum impact on the natural environment and no waste is stored in the centers.
