A pro-Russian Polish politician has been accused of antisemitism after he brutally put out Hanukkah candles inside Poland’s parliament building with a fire extinguisher, with lawmakers slamming the shocking act as ‘absolutely scandalous’.
Video shows Grzegorz Braun ripping the red extinguisher from the wall of Poland’s Sejm building and marching towards the display celebrating the Jewish holiday.
As he strikes towards the candles, he sets off the extinguisher – covering the floor and shocked bystanders in a cloud of white powder.
The shocking footage shows Braun putting out the candles on a menorah that was lit for Hanukkah while filling the air with a lingering haze.
Seconds later, a female official desperately tries to grab the fire extinguisher from Braun’s hands – only for the far-right MP to blast her in the face with the white power.
Grzegorz Braun, a member of the far-right Confederation party is seen after using a fire extinguisher on to put out candles on a menorah
Shocking footage shows Braun putting out the candles on a menorah that was lit for Hanukkah while filling the air with a lingering haze
Video shows Grzegorz Braun ripping the red extinguisher from the wall of Poland’s Sejm building and marching towards the display celebrating the Jewish holiday
The shocking footage shows Braun putting out the candles on a menorah that was lit for Hanukkah while filling the air with a lingering haze
Seconds later, a female official desperately tries to grab the fire extinguisher from Braun’s hands – only for the far-right MP to blast her in the face with the white power
Braun, a pro-Russian member of the Confederation party, then puts down the extinguisher as the woman and onlookers scream at him. He then wipes his hands and walks towards his bag before walking to the chamber.
He then took to the podium in the chamber where he described the Hanukkah as ‘satanic’ and said he was restoring ‘normality’.
Asked just after the incident if he was ashamed, Braun replied: ‘Those who take part in acts of Satanic worship should be ashamed.’
Braun in the past has falsely claimed that there is a plot to turn Poland into a ‘Jewish state.’
All major political forces quickly denounced the incident carried out by Braun, and said there would be no tolerance for antisemitic and xenophobic behavior in the Sejm, the Polish parliament.
The speaker of the parliament, Szymon Holownia, called the act ‘absolutely scandalous’ and excluded him from the day’s parliamentary proceedings. He said he was reporting him to prosecutors.
‘This should have never happened,’ Holownia said. ‘Poland is home for all religions.’
The parliamentary proceedings were suspended. As Braun left the chamber, he shook hands with other far-right lawmakers.
‘There will be no tolerance for racism, xenophobia, antisemitism… as long as I am the speaker of parliament,’ Holownia told reporters. The candles were lit again after the incident.
Rabbi Shalom Ber Stambler, who led the Hanukkah ceremony as he has done for 17 years, said the celebration took place peacefully and had just ended when suddenly chaos broke out and he became aware that Braun was putting out the candles on the sixth night of the weeklong festival.
People begged him to stop and a woman, a member of the Jewish community, tried to stop Braun. Kickback smoke from the extinguisher went into her face and she needed medical attention afterward.
‘He was doing it in a very brutal way,’ Stambler added, speaking of Braun.
Braun is seen placing the fire extinguisher down after putting out the flames, as shocked bystanders and security staff gather round
Grzegorz Braun, far-right Polish lawmaker from Confederation party, walks after using a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukkah candles
Stambler, a rabbi for the Chabad community, said that if felt like Braun wanted to disrupt a day when many people were happy after Donald Tusk was elected and gave his inaugural speech to parliament.
‘Somebody was trying to destroy it,’ Stambler said. ‘And I think the impact is the opposite. Now there will be even more awareness of how much tolerance is needed, how it is important.’
After the incident the candles were lit again.
Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich told Reuters by telephone that Braun’s actions were not representative of the country and that he was ’embarrassed’ by them.
Grzegorz Braun, far-right Polish lawmaker from Konfederacja party, stands after using a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukkah candles at the parliament in Warsaw
Braun speaks to the media while covered in white powder after putting out the Hanukkah candles in the Polish parliament
Security worked to get people away from the scene as powder filled the air
‘Someone extinguished the Hanukkah candles and a few minutes later we relit them,’ he 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.’
Cardinal Grzegorz Rys of Poland’s Catholic church said in a statement posted on social media platform X that he was ashamed of Braun’s actions.
‘I apologise to the entire Jewish community in Poland,’ he wrote.
New Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it a disgrace and said such an incident should never be repeated.
Israel’s ambassador for Poland, Yacov Livne delivers a speech during Hanukkah celebrations at parliament on December 12, before the chaos unfolded
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who was elected yesterday, called Braun’s actions a disgrace and said such an incident should never be repeated
Tusk was elected on Monday and gave his inaugural speech to parliament on Tuesday, pledging to demand that the Western world keep up its help for Ukraine.
Tusk also called on Poland’s fractious political class to unite, saying it cannot afford divisions while Russia is waging a war of aggression across the border, a conflict many fear could spread if Moscow prevails.
‘Poland’s task, the new government’s task, but also the task of all of us, is to loudly and firmly demand the full determination from the entire Western community to help Ukraine in this war. I will do this from day one,’ Tusk said in a session attended by Ukraine’s ambassador and former Polish presidents, including the anti-communist freedom fighter Lech Walesa.
Hours later, the important day in parliament was disturbed by Braun after he grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out candles on a menorah during a Hanukkah celebration.