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The mayor of one of Poland's biggest cities is fighting for his life after being stabbed at a charity event in front of thousands of horrified onlookers.

Pawel Adamowicz, of Gdansk, was onstage during the Light To Heaven event's finale when a man ran up to him shouting, according to witness reports.

Panicked bodyguards are seen rushing to give the 53-year-old first aid, and reports state he was given CPR before being taken to hospital for emergency surgery.

The attacker reportedly grabbed a microphone and told the crowd he had previously been wrongly imprisoned.

The wound, inflicted at around 8pm local time, is said to be in the vicinity of Mr Adamowicz's heart.

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(Image: REUTERS)

Initial reports claimed he had been struck with a sharp weapon at least twice.

The attacker was able to get close to the mayor because he was carrying a media pass, according to Nasze.

Joachim Brudzinski, Poland's Interior Minister, described it on Twitter as a "barbaric" attack.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images) (Image: ADAM WARZAWA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

And Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote: "The attack on Pawel Adamowicz is worthy of the highest condemnation."

And Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, voiced his solidarity with the attack victim.

He wrote on Twitter: "Shocked to hear of the attack on Paweł Adamowicz, Mayor of Gdańsk, this evening.

"Solidarity with the city he leads, his family and supporters. We are praying for his swift recovery."

According to Radio Gdansk, the attacker has been arrested, but it is not yet known who he is.

The event was held in aid of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity - the biggest charity organisation in the country.

According to Wyborcza, the attacker grabbed a microphone and claimed to have been held in prison despite his innocence.

He reportedly shouted: "My name is Stefan. I was in prison, despite my innocence. I was tortured."

The mayor had just delivered a speech when he was attacked, onlookers said.

Police on the scene overpowered the man.

(Image: ADAM WARZAWA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Mr Adamowicz, who is married with two children, has been mayor of the city since 1998.

Police spokesman Mariusz Ciarka said that a man had been detained and taken to a local police station, Wiadomsci reports.

Unconfirmed reports state that the suspect is 27 years old, but officials have yet to reveal any details about him.

The mayor has built up a reputation for being liberal on immigration, telling The Guardian two years ago: "When people say that welcoming refugees is like opening our city to Muslim terrorists, I tell them not to worry.

"The terrorists are far more interested in the big European capitals than in little Gdańsk."