– Believe whatever you want, but inciting hatred is neither religion nor worldview. Say what you want, but inciting hatred is not free speech. Inciting hatred is pure evil, said his wife Magdalena Adamović, a member of the European Commission, on Monday evening, on the sixth anniversary of the attack on Pavel Adamović. The brother of the Gdańsk president, KO MP Piotr Adamowicz, noted that “we are thinking about how we can resist hatred” when “certain rules already exist”.
Monday 13 January marks the sixth anniversary of the fatal attack on Gdańsk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz, who was stabbed during the city finale of the Great Christmas Charity Orchestra. One of the elements of the celebration was the laying of flowers and candles on the memorial plaque between the House of Torture and the Golden Gate – the place where the attack took place. Adamovich’s relatives also performed on the stage near the classroom.
“None of the people who ruled six years ago were held accountable for wrongdoing”
The first speaker was Magdalena Adamovic, the wife of the murdered local government official and member of parliament from the Civil Alliance.
– Six years ago, Pavel was killed here. A year ago, my husband’s killer was sentenced to life imprisonment. In this final verdict, the court ruled that my husband was not an accidental victim, but that the reason for this murder was politics. None of the people who ruled Poland six years ago and started a storm of Polish and Polish hatred to consolidate their power, none of them after October 15, 2023, will still be punished for the evils they have done to all Poles in Poland. did not answer. No one, she said.
As she said, “we are watching with disbelief what is happening now, what this new group of countless evils is doing.” In his opinion, “it is worse than six years ago”.
– Ever since my husband was killed, they say: we have the right to attack whatever we want. And it’s your own fault because you go unprotected, she continued. – Then the victim of hate, who could not defend himself, should be blamed, and not the haters who were at the head of the killer? This is pure evil. And unpunished evil grows stronger. Unsolved bad attacks with double the force, he said.
He added that hate is now “flowing again in a raging river from television whose name is beyond its throat.”
Adamovich with an “invitation” to the Polish state
– I am now standing here in the place where six years ago this hatred poured from Kursky and Kaczynski television. And I will call. I appeal to the Polish state with all my might to prevent such a tragedy in the future, said Adamowicz.
He reminded that “a person who threatens to kill another person directly says that he was inspired by a particular TV show.” – If TV licensing is needed for anything in a democratic country, it is for such cases. TV stations are punished for bad words. We also agree that Russian channels that advertise cannot broadcast in Poland. But television, which spreads such hatred that it incites threats of murder in its viewers, works without results, he continued.
According to him, “everyone who is the target of this television receives such threats.”
– Here, on this plate, a clear call, a clear demand is heard from here. Television that spreads hatred, television that incites murder, such television has no right to exist in Poland. It has no right to exist anywhere. Think what you will, but inciting resentment is not an opinion. Vote for whoever you want, but hate is not a political party. Believe what you want, but inciting hatred is neither religion nor worldview. Say what you want, but inciting hatred is not free speech. Incitement is pure hatred. This is pure evil because hate always begets hate. Inciting hatred starts a spiral of hatred and always leads to tragedy, said the deputy.
– This is why society not only has the right, but also must protect itself from inciting hatred and enmity, – he stressed.
“Do I still have my brother’s number in my phone? Yes, I do.”
Piotr Adamowicz – KO representative and Pavel Adamowicz’s brother – thanked everyone for coming.
– This morning, one of the journalists asked me if I have my brother Pavel’s number on my mobile phone. I said yes, I still have. When they asked why, because six years have already passed, I say: in fact, six years have passed, a long time has passed. But the conditions are the same. These situations – referring to what Magda said, – hate, hate, hate, – he said.
He also mentioned his personal experience. – I even understand, because I am a public figure, when a representative of a popular party calls me a fool in public. I can understand that. This speaks volumes about him as a personality. But what is happening again and in recent days does not allow me to delete this phone number – he continued.
He noted that “hate and malice can lead to crimes, the crime of murder.” – You may think, will it always be like this? Or maybe it will get better? I will remain skeptical. Unfortunately, it will not improve, he said.
Piotr Adamowicz: TVN24
– In our country, a real election campaign will take place soon, I mean the presidential election. What is happening is that not much is happening at the moment. Events are happening now, he said. She also said that Facebook has changed its content moderation policy and that, in her opinion, “we will have a free American woman.”
– This is not a good situation and it will not be. Therefore, I would like to remind the executive authorities – not only that, but first of all, one point: anyone who insults another person in his presence or even in his absence, but in front of or with the intention of that person the arrival of his humiliation. a fine or restriction of freedom is foreseen. This is Article 216, the first paragraph of the Criminal Code, he said.
– We are currently thinking about how to fight against prejudice and hatred. But some rules already exist. Therefore, I would like to emphasize once again that such rules, which allow the prevention and fight against hatred, exist in the laws of Poland, he added.
Tragic death during grand finale of Christmas charity orchestra
On January 13, 2019, the mayor of Gdańsk, Pawel Adamowicz, was seriously injured with a knife during the city finale of the Great Christmas Charity Orchestra in Targ Weglowi. The local government employee was taken to the University Medical Center in critical condition, where he died the next day. The funeral was held on January 19 at St. Mary’s Basilica. His ashes were also buried there. The man who attacked her was legally sentenced to life in prison in January 2024.
Main photo source: TVN24
