Poland to deploy 40,000 security personnel during Pope’s visit
The deployment comes after a string of deadly attacks in Paris, Brussels, Nice and Munich in which over 250 people have died since January 2015
Poland will deploy more than 40,000 security personnel to protect Pope Francis and the hundreds of thousands of young Catholics meeting him for World Youth Day (WYD) in Kraków next week.
The deployment comes after a string of deadly attacks in Paris, Brussels, Nice and Munich in which over 250 people have died since January 2015.
As head of the Roman Catholic church, Pope Francis is an important potential target.
The attempted assassination of pope John Paul II by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca in 1981 demonstrated that pontiffs are as vulnerable to assassins as politicians.
Warsaw has not skimped on personnel: 20,000 thousand policemen, including 7,500 patrolling the streets, 9,000 firefighters, and 800 special government agents as well as 1,000 border guards will be at work to ensure safety.
Border controls with EU neighbours have been restored temporarily, while all small border traffic with non-EU Ukraine and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad has been suspended.
