Polish mayor dies after being stabbed in charity event

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Pawel Adamowicz, 53, the mayor of Polish city Gdansk, died on Monday after he was stabbed with a knife at a charity event on Sunday, Sputnik reported.

The 53-year-old suffered very serious abdominal injuries during the attack.

The incident took place at the finale of the annual Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity event, which was one of Poland's biggest annual charity events and attended by hundreds of people.

The suspect, 27, was arrested at the scene who shouted after the attack that he was wrongly imprisoned and tortured by the government of Civic Platform, a party which the mayor formerly belonged to, according to Polish broadcaster TVN.

People attend a vigil at Dlugi Targ (the Long Market) in central Gdansk in memory of the mayor of Gdansk, Pawel Adamowicz, January 14, 2019. /VCG Photo

Thousands of people gathered in Polish cities to mourn the death of Adamowicz, who had been mayor of Gdansk for 20 years and espoused liberal causes including giving refuge to migrants at odds with Poland's conservative nationalist government.

"We couldn't win," said Health Minister Lukasz Szumowskirs via TVN. Doctors had reportedly operated on the mayor for five hours.

Polish officials said the day of Adamowicz's funeral would be a national day of mourning.

People light candles at Dlugi Targ in central Gdansk in memory of Gdansk's Mayor Pawel Adamowicz, January 14, 2019. /VCG Photo

TV footage showed thousands turning out for commemorative vigils, including in Gdansk, Poznan and the capital Warsaw.

Adamowicz stood out for his initiatives to encourage migrants to seek refuge in the Baltic coast city, and for his support of a protest campaign to defend the rule of law in Poland.

Adamowicz was one of Poland's longest-serving mayors, holding his position in Gdansk since 1998. In the 2018 regional election, he won 65 percent of the vote.