Warsaw police detained a 35-year-old climate activist from the group Last Generation on Wednesday morning, one day before the 15th anniversary of the tragic 2010 plane crash that killed 96 people, including Poland’s president and other top officials.
The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. at Piłsudski Square in central Warsaw. The man climbed onto the Smolensk Memorial, doused it with a red substance, and unfurled a banner reading, “We’re headed for disaster.” He then shouted slogans such as “We’re on a highway to climate hell,” urging people not to stay indifferent to the climate crisis.
"We're headed for disaster" – read a banner displayed by a climate activist from the group Last Generation after splashing paint on a monument in Warsaw commemorating the victims of the 2010 Smolensk plane crash. April 10, 2025, marks the 15th anniversary of the tragic event, in which the Polish president and dozens of high-ranking officials died. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
15 years since the Smolensk air crash
The monument honors the victims of the April 10, 2010 crash of a Polish government aircraft near Smolensk, Russia. Among the 96 people killed were President Lech Kaczyński and First Lady Maria Kaczyńska, the last president of Poland-in-exile Ryszard Kaczorowski, along with numerous politicians and civic leaders.
According to statements shared on social media, police negotiators were able to de-escalate the situation, and the man voluntarily climbed down from the monument with officers by his side. He now faces charges of desecrating a public monument and property damage.
Climate disaster vs. Smolensk disaster: a message for the future
The climate group Last Generation published an open letter on social media addressed to the families of those who died in the Smolensk air disaster 15 years ago. Referencing the upcoming anniversary, the group called for urgent climate action to prevent future mass loss of life, urging that remembrance should inspire solidarity, truth, and responsibility in the face of the climate crisis.
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Source: IAR/PAP/X/@OstatniePokolenie
Click on the audio player above for a report by Michał Owczarek.