At the beginning of Rafał Trzaskowski’s meeting with the residents of Bolesławiec, an 80-year-old man approached the stage. He shouted “you’re lying!” at Trzaskowski and told the people around him, “the son of a b*tch is lying.” Volunteers and security staff reacted. When the agitated senior was being removed from the rally, a scuffle broke out. At that point, the senior, already extremely upset and perhaps even frightened, pulled out pepper spray that he had hidden in his pocket.
It is difficult to call this an attack on Rafał Trzaskowski, who at that moment was safely speaking to his supporters from the stage. Prime Minister Donald Tusk nevertheless described the incident in Bolesławiec as an attempted attack on social media:
Today’s attempted pepper-spray attack on Rafał Trzaskowski by an aggressive man during an open meeting in Bolesławiec shows that the victory of the mayor of Warsaw in yesterday’s debate enraged the competition. Plus the effect of hatred spread by right-wing media.
Donald Tusk, April 12, 2025, on X
– Bolesławiec police officers intervened during a meeting of presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski in connection with offensive words spoken against him by an 80-year-old man. No charges have been brought against the man. Explanatory proceedings will be conducted in this matter, says Anna Kublik-Rościszewska of the Bolesławiec police. She adds that an object resembling pepper spray was secured.