“I was thrown over the barricades and slammed to the ground. An elderly woman, 67 years old, and a child were also hurt — one of the security guards grabbed the child and threw them. What shocks me most is that at least three MPs from Civic Platform (PO) were involved in manhandling us. Then the police detained us. We were locked in a police van until the end of Rafał Trzaskowski’s rally,” said 21-year-old student Patryk Szynkowski in an interview for Interview with a Hooligan on TV Republika. Szynkowski had attended the rally of the presidential hopeful to ask a question on behalf of residents from a local housing estate.
The shocking allegations weren’t made without evidence. Szynkowski presented a medical report confirming injuries sustained during the incident with Trzaskowski’s security team: “a bluish-purple-yellow contusion measuring 9 by 4 cm” and another of “6 by 3 cm” in size.
Before showing up at the event, Patryk and fellow residents from the Maltańskie Estate had sent a letter to Trzaskowski. “We wrote to him about the situation in our neighborhood. He didn’t respond, so we decided to ask him directly at his rally, with peaceful intentions. He wants to be president, and his party, Civic Platform, holds the majority in the city council — they’ll be making decisions that directly affect us. Is that really so controversial that we should be thrown into a police van?” the student asked during the interview.
Szynkowski emphasized that he doesn’t support the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party on many issues — though he did back their “800 Plus” child benefit program. He identifies as an anarchist and is active in the left-wing Workers’ Initiative and the Greater Poland Tenants’ Union. He was recently publicly insulted by Poznań Mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak, also from Civic Platform. “Jaśkowiak calls me a troublemaker. I’d rather be a troublemaker than a doormat for property developers,” Szynkowski said.
A video showing security personnel forcefully taking down Szynkowski as he attempted to ask a question, along with his full interview in Interview with a Hooligan, can be viewed below.