Co-owner of Warsaw’s Praga Centrum arrested after allegedly driving car into club following eviction
Łukasz Kondratczyk reportedly ripped the door off the nightclub before attacking the property owner
The co-owner of Warsaw's Praga Centrum nightclub has been arrested for allegedly driving a car into the venue after being evicted from the site.
According to Polish publication Wyborcza, the incident took place on Wednesday (May 21) after bailiffs executed an eviction of the Szwedzka Street nightclub, which had reportedly been operating without a licence for some four years.
It followed a five year dispute between club owners and the legal property owners of the two halls that make up Praga Centrum, Resident Advisor reports.
Read this next: Sheffield venue The Leadmill denied eviction appeal following years-long legal battle
Bailiffs, hall owner Michał Urbaniak, and lawyers for the Maria Curie-Skłodowska Medical University – which owns the second hall – all arrived on the day to seize the property, though club co-owner Łukasz Kondratczyk did not show up at first.
Witness reports claim that Kondratczyk arrived at the site just after 2:PM when proceedings had concluded, showing up in a yellow Toyota off-road vehicle with a winch attached, which he allegedly used to hook onto the venue’s doors and forcefully break them down.
According to witness reports (per Wyborcza), the club co-owner then drove inside the club where he proceeded to exit the vehicle and allegedly attack Michał Urbaniak, the legal property owner of one of the venue’s halls.
Read this next: Berlin music and arts venue Oyoun faces eviction following “extensive” legal issues
Kondratczyk allegedly choked Urbaniak, who said that he thought he would “drop on the spot” if the attack continued.
Authorities were called to the scene, and Kondratczyk was taken to a detention centre after being arrested. He has since been charged with property damage, assault, and unlawful entry, and faces up to five years in prison, per RA.
An investigation into the alleged incident is currently taking place.
[Via Wyborcza + Resident Advisor]
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
Mixmag will use the information you provide to send you the Mixmag newsletter using Mailchimp as our marketing platform. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us. By clicking sign me up you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.
