Far-right Polish lawmaker uses fire extinguisher on Hanukkah candles

A right-wing lawmaker in Poland used a fire extinguisher to put out a display of Hanukkah candles in Poland’s Parliament on Tuesday, sparking outrage from the Jewish community and fellow members.

Grzegorz Braun, the antisemitic leader of the far-right monarchist Confederation party, was filmed walking up to a large Hanukkah display and spraying out candles with a fire extinguisher. A woman attempted to stop him, but he also sprayed her in the face with the extinguisher.

Tuesday was the Polish parliament’s annual Hanukkah celebration, and members of the Jewish community were invited to parliament. Braun extinguished the candles just after a ceremony when they were lit, which included the Israeli ambassador.

Braun later spoke on the floor of Parliament and said that the holiday was “satanic” and that his actions were “restoring normality,” The Associated Press reported. 

“Those who take part in acts of satanic worship should be ashamed,” he said.

Braun was thrown out of parliament for his actions and barred from sitting at Tuesday’s session. Speaker Szymon Holownia said Braun would be fined half his salary for three months, the largest fine allowed, and would be investigated by prosecutors.

“There will be no tolerance for racism, xenophobia, antisemitism … as long as I am the speaker of Parliament,” Holownia told reporters, according to Reuters.

Newly-elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk also condemned his actions. Tusk gave his first speech to Parliament later Tuesday.

“This is unacceptable, this must never happen again,” he said. “This is a disgrace.”