Large crowds of nationalist demonstrators converged on Warsaw this Wednesday for the annual Independence Day march, a tradition marking Poland’s 1918 resurgence after over a century of partition by Austria, Prussia, and Russia. The event, held amid heavy security, takes place under the banner “A Pole is the host in Poland.” Organizers noted expectations for a record attendance this year, including foreign delegations from groups such as Spain’s Revuelta and the Hungarian Mi Hazank party. Which has long been a source of tension between right-wing groups and Poland’s governing centrists, has been held annually on November 11 since 1918 to commemorate the end of more than 100 years of partition by Russia, Prussia and Austria, the Independence Day march. According to organisers of the march, They expected a record turnout, with many foreign nationalists set to attend, including Spain’s Revuelta, a youth movement linked to Vox, and members of the Hungarian far-right Mi Hazank part.
The demonstration has frequently sparked friction between right-wing activists and the country’s centrist government. Critics have long challenged the march over instances of anti-Semitic and anti-immigration rhetoric, while participants defend the gathering as a necessary display of national pride. President Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist-conservative, attended the event, remarking that Poland “does not exist today so that the political elites can grant themselves the right to manage citizens … against the will of the nation.” As police officers were deployed at the scene to secure the demonstration, participants carrying Polish flags assembled in central Warsaw on Wednesday.
The march follows a significant security crisis in Krakow.
On Saturday, November 7, a 24-year-old gunman opened fire from a vehicle in the city’s main square, killing six people and injuring over a dozen others. The suspect, who was subsequently shot by law enforcement during his arrest, died later in a hospital on Monday. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek stated that investigators have found evidence suggesting the perpetrator was influenced by the neo-Nazi ideology of Anders Behring Breivik, who committed the 2011 mass killings in Norway. According to on Tuesday, Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek, The killer had been interested in the neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has issued a public appeal for calm, urging restraint as the nation navigates heightened political tension. Speaking on the need for stability, Tusk emphasized that the republic is a shared inheritance. “We may hold different views, we may keep each other in check, and at times we may even be political opponents,” he stated. “Anyone who truly cares about Poland must understand that this space, defined by independence, freedom and a secure Republic, is a common good.”
