Polish school attacks driven by online violence glorification, PM says

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 11 Oct, 09:48 · Archive

Three attacks at Polish schools within four days left one dead and many wounded, Prime Minister Donald Tusk says were fuelled by online glorification of violence.

Three attacks at Polish schools in the Mazovian province occurred within four days this week, leaving one dead and many wounded, including children. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday that the attacks were 'spontaneous acts' driven by the online 'glorification of violence'. He told a crisis meeting with government and security services: 'We are not dealing with any group organized on a big scale. These are very often spontaneous actions inspired by online activity.'

Tusk described the incidents as potentially linked to 'nihilistic violence', a term for acts driven by nihilistic worldview and misanthropy rather than specific political goals. He noted that 'some of the people detained are active in the ultraright environment' and that authorities had observed intensified online searches for Nazi content and 'mass killers who have become idols online'.

By Sunday morning, police had detained 117 people across Poland for carrying knives or other dangerous weapons, or for threatening to attack schools or fellow students. Some 64,000 schools were checked. Tusk said Poland faced a 'civilizational phenomenon' where children exposed to violence through video games and crime stories were becoming increasingly fascinated by it. Kacper Rekawek, senior researcher at the International Center for Counterterrorism in The Hague, described the pattern as 'essentially a copycat scenario' with 'a long trail of attackers going back to at least 2019, if not decades earlier'.

How it is being reported

• Polish leader says school attacks were fueled by online glorification of violencePrime Minister Donald Tusk says recent attacks at Polish schools are “spontaneous acts” fueled by the online glorification of violence.News4Jax · 11 Oct, 09:17
• Polish leader says school attacks were fueled by online glorification of violencePrime Minister Donald Tusk says recent attacks at Polish schools are “spontaneous acts” fueled by the online glorification of violence.Clickorlando · 11 Oct, 09:17

In this story: Donald Tusk · Poland · Mazovian province · International Center for Counterterrorism

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