Reports do not state that explosions caused the evacuations of polling stations in Warsaw

By: Emmi Kivi
October 16 2023

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The context

Poland held its parliamentary election on October 15. With the highest turnout in the country’s history and votes still being counted, the exit polls suggest the majority of the parliamentary seats for the opposition. 

Social media users have falsely claimed that the capital’s voting was interrupted by explosions. One such post includes the caption: “It’s reported that explosions rang out two polling stations in Warsaw.”

While it is true that bomb alerts led to the evacuation of three polling stations in Warsaw, there are no reports of explosions. 

In fact

According to the local police, a bomb alert evacuated three polling places in Praga Południe, Warsaw, on Sunday evening. 

Around 7 p.m., the police were informed of a suspicious backpack in front of the school building used for voting. “About 200 people were evacuated from three polling stations, and bomb disposal experts were called,” police spokesperson Sylwester Marczak said. Also, as a precaution, a 100-meter safety area was set up. 

The Police Counter-Terrorist Unit secured and removed the backpack and carried out an inspection of the building. Two other polling stations were concurrently evacuated. Explosions have not been reported by the police, election authorities, or by the press.

On Saturday, another police operation occurred in Warsaw, at Piłsudski Square, when a man threatened to explode, holding an unidentified object on top of the Monument to the Victims of Smolensk Tragedy. After several hours, the man eventually surrendered to the police.

Logically Facts previously analyzed Poland’s misinformation and disinformation landscape ahead of the parliamentary election. 

The verdict

On October 15, bomb alerts led to the evacuation of three polling stations in Warsaw; the Warsaw police, election authorities, and media have reported no explosions. Therefore, we marked the claim as false.