A Polish activist who faces up to five years in jail for allegedly attacking a van covered with anti-LGBTQ phrases says the case has left them “deeply traumatised” and without hope for the future of their country. When Małgorzata Szutowic, 28, known as Margot, was first detained over the incident in August 2020, thousands turned out in Warsaw to protest their arrest amid the government’s ongoing attack on LGBTQ rights. Dozens of demonstrators were themselves arrested in the capital in what was later dubbed the “Polish Stonewall” by media. The van was one of many funded by an ultra-Catholic group that would drive through Polish cities, displaying posters comparing LGBTQ people to paedophiles and blasting slogans over speakers warning about the risk of HIV from gay men. The activist denies charges of damaging the vehicle and attacking its driver. Margot faces a maximum penalty of five years in jail.