Polish far-right parliamentarian Grzegorz Braun of the Confederation party will be criminally charged for using a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukkah candles lit in the Polish Parliament last month. The incident, captured in footage posted on TVN24's website, showed Braun walking across the parliament's lobby and creating a white cloud of extinguisher powder, prompting security guards to evacuate the area.
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The incident took place during the annual Hanukkah celebrations, which had invited members of the Jewish community, including children, to the parliament. Braun later took to the podium in the chamber and described Hanukkah as "satanic" while claiming that he was restoring "normality."
Grzegorz Braun using a fire extinguisher
(Video: X)
When asked if he was ashamed of his act, he said: "Those who take part in acts of satanic worship should be ashamed."
Magdalena Gudzinska-Adamczyk, who was present, confronted Braun as he extinguished the candles. In an interview with TVN24, Gudzinska-Adamczyk, her face covered in white powder, expressed her distress. ,"I feel very short of breath and have trouble speaking. I have stopped feeling safe in this country."
Following the incident, Parliament Speaker Szymon Hołownia took immediate action and excluded Braun from a confidence vote for newly appointed pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Holownia also said that he would report Braun's actions to prosecutors.
The speaker announced disciplinary measures, stating Braun would face a cut in pay for three months and the suspension of all parliamentary expenses for six months. "There will be no tolerance for racism, xenophobia, antisemitism... as long as I am the speaker of parliament," he told reporters in a statement.
Braun, known for his disruptive behavior during parliamentary sessions, exited the chamber and exchanged handshakes with fellow far-right legislators. Despite expectations that the Confederation Party would have significant political power following the October 15 election, primarily due to its emphasis on economic matters and criticism of Poland's aid to Ukraine, the party ultimately secured only 18 seats, a modest increase from its 11 seats in 2019.
In a telephone conversation with Reuters, Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich of Poland expressed his disappointment and embarrassment over Braun's actions, stating that he does not reflect the sentiments of the country. "Someone extinguished the Hanukkah candles and a few minutes later we relit them," Rabbi Schudrich said. "For thousands of years our enemies have been trying to extinguish us, from the time of the Maccabees right through to Hamas. But our enemies should learn, they cannot extinguish us."
the Confederation Party did not disavow his actions. In fact, the party's spokesperson went as far as suggesting that Poland should refrain from participating in Jewish events while the Israeli army is allegedly engages in acts of "murder" against Palestinians.