Thousands march in a right-wing rally to celebrate Poland’s Independence Day
Tens of thousands of Poles, including anti-nationalist leaders, marched through Warsaw on Monday for the annual Independence Day parade held by the far-right, some waving red flares and carrying anti-EU, anti-Ukraine and white supremacist slogans.
Thousands carried red and white Polish flags on Monday, while others chanted “White Europe of brotherly nations!” or “Stop the European Union!” or holding banners reading “Stop mass migration” or “Stop turning Poland into Ukraine.”
Others expressed their support for US president Donald Trump by waving his campaign flag or the US national flag.
Thousands of people attended the annual Polish Independence Day demonstration in Warsaw. People in the crowd were holding banners against the European Union and white premacist, while others were praising the election of Donald Trump as the American president.
“I wish such events could be found all over Europe, especially now after Trump’s victory,” said someone in the crowd in Warsaw.
Another participant, John, a 58-year-old from Arizona, said he brought a pro-Trump flag because “he’s very popular in Central Europe and people like Trump here.”
The police said they arrested 75 people and also seized prohibited items from the participants, including pyrotechnics, knives, telescopic sticks and brass knuckles.
Conflict between liberals, conservatives
The march has become a point of disagreement between Poland’s hardline party and conservatives on the one hand, the liberal center, which has been in power since last year’s general election ended eight years of nationalist rule.
The far-right Confederation, whose politicians are among the organizers of the event, appears to have rallied since the election, now polling around 12 percent, showing gains in parts of Europe in the fight against immigration.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which governs Poland from 2015-2023 and wants to return, joined the march with other members of the party.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government has been in power since December, but its left-wing and center-right coalition members are struggling in opinion polls amid disagreements over key campaign issues such as the return of abortion rights.
Although both the nationalist PiS party and the Tusk coalition strongly support Ukraine in its war with Russia, with the support of the majority of Poles, others are frustrated by the influx of refugees from their eastern neighbor.
Warsaw authorities said around 90,000 people took part in the march, while organizers put the number at around 200,000.
Monday marked the 106th anniversary of Poland’s independence at the end of the First World War after more than a century of partition and rule by Russia, Germany and Austro-Hungary. The day of Nov. 11 has a strong weight in the nation where the trauma of losing the country’s sovereignty endures.
The President wants continued US support
Polish President Andrzej Duda marked Independence Day with a call for continued US commitment to European security in light of Russia’s aggression in the region, and argued that Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders should be restored.
Duda, who has friendly relations with Trump, said in his speech in Warsaw that Europe will continue to need US protection.
“It is a dream – as some people think – that Europe can guarantee its security today,” said Duda.
What worries many is the war across Poland’s border with Ukraine, and the expectation that Donald Trump’s return to the White House will bring about a change in the security situation in the region.
Some fear that Trump could end the US commitment to NATO, or strike a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that could lead to a permanent loss of territory in Ukraine and encourage Russia to attack other nations. Some believe that Trump can persuade Putin to stop fighting.
Later in the news conference, Duda said he spoke with Trump and that they will meet before the inauguration in January.
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