Polish Retailers Pull Halloween Products After School Stabbings

Major retailers Biedronka, owned by Jeronimo Martins, and children’s chain Smyk are removing selected Halloween products such as fake knives, cleavers and disturbing costumes after three knife attacks at Polish educational institutions left a caretaker dead and numerous others injured. More than 20,000 police officers were deployed to schools; police inspected 80,000 schools and detained 135 people since Friday. One boy was found with a gun, ammunition and knives after creating a Roblox model of his school and simulating attacks. The attacks came in quick succession: a 19-year-old wounded 10 people, including himself, in Ostrołęka on October 7; a 15-year-old former student killed a caretaker and injured two staff at Leszczydół-Nowiny primary school on October 8; and three people were injured at a Warsaw college on Saturday. Smyk said that in the current circumstances the presence of such items on the shelves of a store whose offer is directed to families is inappropriate. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, "We are witnessing a grim trend of violence," and that fascination with violence has risen in Poland and worldwide. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said a clear message is required of no tolerance for attacks on Polish children or the descent of public life into anarchy. Politicians have linked the incidents to social media, pro-Nazi content and violent video games. Halloween is not a traditional Polish holiday but is widely celebrated, especially among younger people.