Farmer plows tractor through freshly laid asphalt on Gliwice's Rybacka Street, police arrest him at scene
A farmer from Gliwice's Ostropa district drove a tractor with a plow across freshly laid asphalt on Rybacka Street on 7 August, destroying the new surface. Police arrested him at the scene, and city authorities confirmed the road is entirely municipal property.
What happened on Rybacka Street
On Friday 7 August 2026, a farmer from the Ostropa district of Gliwice drove an agricultural tractor onto freshly poured asphalt on Rybacka Street and ran a plow across the new surface, leaving deep ruts in the soft black pavement. Road crews were still on site, having begun the renovation on Monday 3 August as part of a project to replace the old surface with a new asphalt layer. The mayor of Gliwice, Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka, posted a video of the incident on her social media accounts, writing that residents had waited many years for the renovation. Within hours the clip was viewed more than 2 million times.
- Road renovation work begins on Rybacka Street
- Farmer plows through freshly laid asphalt with tractor
- Police arrest the farmer at the scene
- City president posts video; ZDM confirms road is city property
- Video surpasses 2 million views within hours
Police response and city's position
Police arrested the farmer at the scene. The mayor stated that the entire road belongs to the city, including nearly a one-metre strip alongside it, and that a surveyor was present on site. She also said the farmer had not been in any formal dispute with the city over the matter.
The Zarząd Dróg Miejskich (Municipal Roads Authority) in Gliwice issued a formal statement confirming that, after legal verification of the property status, the road in its entirety constitutes ownership of the City of Gliwice. The authority said it is not a private road and no part of it belongs to any private individual, and that suggestions the lack of a private owner's consent affected the renovation are untrue and find no confirmation in the applicable legal status.
Farmer's long-standing claim
According to residents cited by 24Gliwice.pl, the farmer has maintained for years that the road belongs to him and has opposed the renovation for nearly 30 years. Dziennik Zachodni reported unofficial information that the farmer's radical step was the result of a complicated property dispute that had lasted for some time, with some reports suggesting part of the land along Rybacka Street might be privately owned. However, city officials have not issued any statement supporting that version, and both the mayor and the roads authority insist the road is fully municipal.
Public reaction and next steps
Comments under the mayor's social media post were overwhelmingly critical of the farmer, with users demanding he cover the cost of repairs and face legal consequences. The city says the matter will not be swept under the rug: the damaged surface will have to be repaired again, and officials are analysing what legal steps can be taken against the farmer for destroying public infrastructure. The renovation had been announced by ZDM the previous week, with the old surface set to be replaced by a new asphalt layer to improve driving comfort and travel conditions for residents.
