Mayor Attacks Artist Who Tried to Paint Over Plaque to Communist

Velky Lipnik, May 29 (TASR) – Artist Lubos Lorenz, who was attempting to paint over a memorial plaque to a former communist official on the building of the municipal office in Velky Lipnik (Presov region) on Saturday, was attacked by mayor Peter Labant, TASR learnt on Sunday.

The story was first brought by .tyzden weekly magazine on its website.

According to Lorenz, the plaque to former communist prosecutor-general and justice minister Jan Pjescak was unveiled on May 15.

“It’s again come out what adherents of the communist regime and its functionaries are capable of. I’ve got a broken rib. Some jerk attacked me. Later, I read in a newspaper that it was the mayor himself,” Lorenz told TASR.

“While I was attempting to paint over a plaque dedicated to a communist judicial murderer with water-washable dye, he attacked me, kicking over the box that I was standing on. I fell on the box, hitting a rib probably against it, while my head and arm hit concrete. Instead of providing me with medical assistance, they began berating me. They were threatening me, suggesting that my colleagues should turn off their cameras so that they’d be able to settle their scores with me,” Lorenz told TASR.

“The police have launched an investigation into the crimes of battery and rowdiness. The damage to the memorial plaque has been registered as a misdemeanour against property,” said Presov Regional Police Directorate spokesperson Jana Migalova.