Colorful Tolerance

It is the eight time this event is taking place in Lodz. Mayor Jerzy Kropiwinicki took part in painting over the anti-Semitic graffiti on the city walls.

"Despite the fact that these insulting writings appear on the walls again and
again, we should continue our action called 'Colorful Tolerance',Kropiwnicki said about the effort, in which deputy mayor Wlodzimierz Tomaszewski, students from Lodz schools, their teachers and journalists also participated.

"I believe that the public awareness will be constantly awakened and developing. It is just damaging of private property. The graffiti like these is not only insulting to the people stigmatized by them, but is also highly discrediting to our city's dignity. I believe that gradually we will come to the point there will be no public approval for spraying graffiti over house walls, destroying private property.
When I see the writings like those, I feel deep sadness, because they do not reflect the public feeling in this city",Kropiwnicki told the Polish state news agency PAP.

According to the mayor, the anti-Semitic graffiti is "being spotted by people
disliking Lodz". "Our guests from Israel aren't hurt that much by them, since they saw the genuine soul of the people of Lodz, but they still do harm to us, the city and the Lodz people. A theatrical plays are being created using the images from city walls as their background" -
explained Kropiwnicki.

Teachers that brought their students to paint over the writings together with them also think that the "Colorful Tolerance" in Lodz should be continued. "It is really a great action the kids love to take part in", saidMalgorzata Wildner, one of the teachers from PS 110 in Lodz.

"Colorful Tolerance" was started by some journalists and local politicians in
2000. One of its this year's events was a debate about Polish-Jewish dialogue last Thursday with prof.Wladyslaw Bartoszewski , students from several Lodz schools and a youth group from Israel. Painting over the graffiti is taking place every year on March 21, the first day of spring.