Poznań Mayor Assaulted with Cake; City Hall Tightens Security Measures
During a June 16th city council meeting, activists from the Rozbrat collective pelted Poznań Mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak with a cake, prompting the municipal government to implement restrictive new...
During a June 16th city council meeting, activists from the Rozbrat collective pelted Poznań Mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak with a cake, prompting the municipal government to implement restrictive new security protocols.
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The Incident and Legal Consequences
Poznań city councilors gathered on June 16 to deliberate on the city’s budget execution and to vote on granting the mayor a discharge. During the session, anarchists from the Rozbrat collective entered the chamber and threw a cake at Jacek Jaśkowiak, labeling their action a “vote of no confidence” on behalf of the city’s residents.
Two men are facing charges related to insulting a public official and violating his physical integrity, with one accused of active assault and the other of complicity. According to Wyborcza Poznań, authorities are also initiating proceedings for the misdemeanor of disturbing the public peace.
New Security Protocols at City Hall
Following the incident, the city has significantly increased security procedures, including raising the number of municipal guards monitoring the chamber from two to five. Visitors are now required to present identification to receive a temporary visitor pass, which City Council Chairman Grzegorz Ganowicz clarified is not personalized.
Security now inspects personal items, placing suspicious objects and large bags into a deposit. Residents are prohibited from using the main entrance, instead being directed to a side room where public observers are now cordoned off by tape and barred from speaking from the podium.
Differing Perspectives on Restrictions
Kacper Nowicki, an activist from the Left, criticized the measures as a “makeshift system” involving zip ties and shopping bags, suggesting the regional governor may challenge how the city is restricting public access. Conversely, PiS councilor Sara Szynkowska vel Sęk argued that access to the mayor and his deputies should have been limited long ago.
The Anarchists’ Statement
The Rozbrat collective declared the act as “civil disobedience” intended to highlight issues they claim the city authorities have ignored for years. They accused Mayor Jaśkowiak of presiding over a personal and business network that prioritizes developers and big business over the needs of local residents.