Polish schools were set on fire—literally—for the first time this week, with three knife attacks fueled by online glorification of violence, Prime Minister Donald Tusk told security services.
The tragic incidents left one woman dead and several others wounded, including children. Tusk said the attacks are often spontaneous and inspired by digital content, labeling them "nihilistic violence" associated with the ultra‑right.
Police nationwide searched tens of thousands of schools and arrested 117 people for weapon possession or threats to attack educational institutions. One suspect was detained in Warsaw after attacking a 17‑year‑old girl; another was arrested after stabbing a caretaker at a primary school in Leszczydol‑Nowiny, just north of Warsaw.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński added that a 17‑year‑old in Sierpc, northwest of Warsaw, was detained after claiming he intended to do something "dangerous" on school grounds. The government is treating the recent threats against the PM and Defence Minister as "deadly serious" and has convened special security meetings.
The stabbings have sparked rumors of a "Bloody Friday" of further attacks linked to an alleged online challenge. Thousands of police officers have visited schools nationwide to reassure students amid the escalating violence and digital propaganda.
