Six Months of Community Service for Siren Statue Vandalism; Prosecution Declines Appeal
Activists from the Last Generation group have been sentenced to six months of community service and damages for vandalizing Warsaw’s historic Siren statue with paint, a ruling the prosecution will...
Activists from the Last Generation group have been sentenced to six months of community service and damages for vandalizing Warsaw’s historic Siren statue with paint, a ruling the prosecution will not contest.
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The Ruling and Prosecution Stance
In April 2025, a Warsaw court convicted activists from the Last Generation movement for vandalizing the historic Siren monument. The court mandated six months of community service, totaling 30 hours per month, and ordered the payment of 33,000 PLN in damages.
The Warsaw Śródmieście-Północ District Prosecutor’s Office stated that the ruling contains no procedural or substantive errors that would justify an appeal. Consequently, the prosecutor’s office has opted to let the sentence stand, according to Piotr Antoni Skiba, spokesperson for the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office.
Defense Strategy and Legal Proceedings
Despite the prosecution’s decision, the defense attorney for the activists, Radosław Baszuk, confirmed that an appeal was filed two weeks ago. The defense is seeking a reversal of the verdict and a full acquittal, meaning the case will now proceed to the second-instance court.
The March 2024 Vandalism Incident
The act occurred on March 8, 2024, on the General Patton Boulevard. During the incident, an activist stated in a video published on social media that the act was a protest against the erosion of women’s rights and the impacts of the climate crisis, identifying the group as the Last Generation.
According to the indictment, the activists damaged the 1938 statue, the fountain basin, and the pedestal using orange paint. The monument is officially registered as a protected historical site in the Masovian Voivodeship.
Estimated Damages and Conservation Costs
The prosecutor’s office emphasized that the women’s actions resulted in damages totaling 361,607.36 PLN. This valuation was established based on assessments provided by the Masovian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments, expert testimony in stonemasonry, and the municipal entity responsible for the statue’s maintenance.