Northeast Ohio Mourns Murder Of Polish Politician

Northeast Ohio politicians are mourning the death of murdered Polish mayor Paweł Adamowicz, who was stabbed at a charity concert on Sunday. Adamowicz was mayor of Gdansk, a sister city to Cleveland.

“Mayor Adamowicz’s death this morning is a severe shock to our Polish-American community here in Cleveland,” said Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley. “I offer my condolences to those whose lives he touched.”

Adamowicz was on-stage at the Great Orchestra of Christmas, a charity concert benefiting a children's hospital, when an attacker rushed the stage and stabbed the mayor in his heart and stomach. Despite being rushed to a hospital, and undergoing hours of surgery, Adamowicz passed away on Monday, CNN noted.

On Monday night, thousands of Gdansk residents gathered at the city's statue of Neptune for a minute of silence in honor of Adamowicz, the Guardian reported. The 53-year-old mayor was regarded as a progressive, which rankled a vocal, rising far-right contingent in Poland.

The alleged attacker of Adamowicz reportedly said he blamed the mayor and his party for his jailing in 2014 after a series of violent attacks. Adamwoicz has been a frequent critic of the far-right wing government running Poland.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, from Lorain, is co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Poland Caucus. She said she is "certain Polish law enforcement official will examine" all of the circumstances around Adamowicz's death.

She added that investigators need to discover if anyone influenced this crime, or if propaganda might have influenced the attacker.

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"I speak of on behalf of thousands of Polish-Americans in my district, to remind all freedom-loving people that the United States stands with Poland at this hour of mourning. During these uncertain times, we must work to strengthen the transatlantic alliance through increased cultural and diplomatic exchange," Kaptur said in a statement.

Cleveland and Gdansk have been sister cities since 1990. The Polish metropolis has a population of approximately 500,000 people, and sits on the Vistula River, near the Baltic Sea.

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