Two individuals were detained Wednesday as they vandalized an Israeli defense firm’s booth at Poland’s Kielce-based MSPO defense expo, causing disruption.
Incident at Defense Expo
During the MSPO defense exhibition in Kielce, Poland’s military police, fire department, and police were called after an Israeli firm’s booth was splashed with a red liquid on Wednesday. Two suspects, a 21-year-old woman from Poznan and a 26-year-old man from Warsaw, were quickly apprehended by military police and handed over to Kielce’s local police. The incident prompted initial investigations under Article 288 of Poland’s criminal code, which carries a penalty of up to five years in imprisonment.
Conference Continues
Organizers of the expo assured that the substance did not pose any threat to the health and wellbeing of participants, and operations proceeded as planned. Emergency chemical and environmental response teams in Kielce confirmed that no hazardous gases were present and the affected area was safely neutralized.
Palestinian Protest
The incident occurred during a Palestinian protest by two activists who unfurled a banner and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip. Fans of the social media profile “Obywatele RP #FBPE” shared footage of the protest online, highlighting the tensions between pro-Palestinian activists and Israeli defense firms at international expos.
Background
Hit by Israel-Gaza tensions, this year’s Kielce expo featured over 800 companies from around 35 countries, including roughly ten Israeli firms. The event itself is one of the three largest in the European defense industry, attracting significant interest from both participants and critics.
