Hate is harmful, and its spreaders are even more dangerous. Media coverage has, allegedly, helped create a dangerous dynamic within a political party, culminating in the murder of a PiS activist in Łódź. The assailant reportedly targeted the PiS president, the writer of these lines, and Jacek Kurski, a claim emphasized afterward by Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro on Thursday.
Hate is harmful, and its spreaders, including a prominent political figure, are even more dangerous
– Ziobro stated on the X platform.
Think back to the moment when a deputy urged violence against Jarosław Kaczyński and to harm him. The aftermath suggested that media coverage could have amplified a dangerous sentiment within the party, contributing to a scenario where a killer was emboldened. The perpetrator reportedly set fire to Beata Kempa’s parliamentary office, endangering fifteen residents of the building. Ziobro called the adversaries liars and hypocrites, accusing them of spreading harmful rhetoric that can incite real-world harm.
– wrote Ziobro.
Tusk’s entry
The leader of the Platforma Obywatelska, Donald Tusk, posted on X in the morning hours about a courtroom scene in Sopot. He noted that the man who planned the attack on him and his family testified that he acted under the influence of certain media outlets. The statement framed the situation as more about victimization than about a straightforward act of aggression.
The court in Sopot sentenced 43-year-old Michał B. to ten months of liberty restriction, with a requirement to complete twenty hours of unpaid community service each month, a prohibition from approaching Tusk and his family, and an apology to Tusk for threats made via email. The ruling has, in some eyes, faced challenges regarding its adequacy and enforcement.
The suspect, Michał B., was described as having sent a threatening email to the head of the Civic Platform and relatives. He faced charges of threats and insults. Public reporting indicates that he told the prosecutors he had an argument with his family that day, followed by alcohol consumption. He reportedly watched public television, which he claimed influenced his perception of threats to public figures associated with the party. This sequence of events was used to explain his emotional state and the subsequent online communication.
mly/PAP