TV Republika journalist Janusz Życzkowski was attacked by the mayor of Legnica, Maciej Kupaj, during a session of the City Council. The local official forcefully pushed the reporter, and a scuffle broke out. “It’s an unimaginable scandal. It’s the first time I’ve seen the mayor lose his temper like that. How can you attack an independent television station? I don’t even know how to comment on this,“ said city councilor Adam Wierzbicki.
After the August renovation of the City Council chamber in Legnica, a cross was removed from its wall. The decision was reportedly made by Mayor Maciej Kupaj, who invoked the principle of “worldview neutrality” and announced that he would not restore the cross to the meeting room.
Maciej Kupaj is a politician from the Civic Platform (PO). He has served as the mayor of Legnica since 2024 and was previously a city councilor.
“Little Moscow has returned“
Several dozen residents attended today’s council session carrying banners defending the cross. “Where is the cross!“, “Little Moscow has returned“, “You’re worse than the communists,“ shouted the people of Legnica.
Councilors from the Law and Justice party (PiS) had earlier called on residents to attend the session in large numbers.
“We only want people to show their support for bringing the cross back to the council chamber, where it hung for many years. Councilors in Legnica have been making decisions in its presence since the second term, and now we’re in the ninth. Who suddenly found the cross – an important symbol for Poles – so bothersome after all these decades that it had to be quietly taken down?“ said PiS councilor Joanna Śliwińska-Łokaj in an interview with the portal legnica.naszemiasto.pl.
During the session, the head of the PiS councilors’ group, Rafał Rajczkowski, requested a change to the agenda, pointing to the presence of residents protesting certain issues. However, his motion did not receive the required majority.
“The cross can’t hang, but it will stand”
Councilor Adam Wierzbicki then proposed adding to the agenda an appeal concerning the removal of the cross from the chamber.
“We have received with great sorrow the information that Mayor Maciej Kupaj removed the cross from the Legnica City Council chamber. We appeal to the mayor to respect the council’s previous decision, adopted unanimously during a session, to hang the cross in the chamber. The symbol, blessed by the late Father Władysław Bochnak, was placed in the meeting space as a sign of identity, tradition, and the values that form the foundation of the local community,” read Wierzbicki. He then brought a cross into the room and placed it on the table.
When the motion was rejected, the residents present reacted angrily, shouting “disgrace“ and “we want the cross.“ The meeting was then adjourned.
TV Republika journalist Janusz Życzkowski was also present at the session, speaking with Councilor Wierzbicki.
“The fight against the cross continues. The cross can’t hang, but it will stand at every session I attend,” said the councilor.
He added that “residents have always been respected, but now we see how things really are.”
Attack on the journalist
At that moment, Życzkowski, who was speaking with the councilor, was shoved by Mayor Kupaj and his aides. The journalist tried to ask the mayor a question, but a scuffle ensued.
“The mayor reacted very nervously to the questions…” assessed Życzkowski.
“We just witnessed the mayor attack TV Republika. It’s an unimaginable scandal. It’s the first time I’ve seen him lose control like that. How can you attack an independent television station? I don’t even know how to comment on it,” added Councilor Adam Wierzbicki.