Gdańsk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz, who was seriously injured in a knife attack, is still in mortal danger after an emergency operation. „The patient lives,“ said the surgeon Tomasz Stefaniak after the five-hour operation in the University Hospital of the Polish port city at night to today. His condition was „very, very serious“: „The next few hours will be decisive.“
Thus, the mayor was injured in the heart and other organs. Adamowicz had been stabbed by an attacker at a public event last night in front of hundreds of people. The man stormed the stage at a charity event and repeatedly stabbed the 53-year-old with a knife, who has been mayor of Gdansk since 1998. Adamowicz was revived on the spot and then taken to the hospital.
Attackers overwhelmed by police
The attacker was quickly overpowered by security guards. According to police, it is a 27-year-old Danzigiger. A video of the attack shows the man grabbing a microphone after the knife attack and calling him innocently imprisoned and „tortured“ by the former government of the Civil Platform (PO). „That is why Adamowicz dies!“ The PO had supported Adamowicz at the last local election in the fall.
The authorities are now examining how the attacker could get on the stage despite the security measures on which Adamowicz stood. According to a police spokeswoman, he had an accreditation as a press representative with him.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski condemned the act. EU Council President Donald Tusk, Vice-President Frans Timmermans and London Mayor Sadiq Khan gave their support to Adamowicz.
