The annual march through Warsaw to mark Poland’s Independence Day passed without major incident, though security remained heightened after the deadly terrorist attack in Krakow just four days earlier. A huge column of people, including President Karol Nawrocki, moved through the city amid a sea of white-and-red flags. Organised by nationalist groups, the event served as a display of unity among the right-wing opposition ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections. Figures from the liberal government avoided the march entirely. Prime Minister Donald Tusk celebrated Independence Day hundreds of kilometres away in Szczecin, where he issued an invitation to Nawrocki to visit his home for talks. The march operated under the slogan "Polak w Polsce gospodarzem", which translates roughly as "Poles are masters in their own country". Rafal Buca, the march’s spokesman, stated that the slogan was chosen to emphasise opposition to foreign influences and underscore that Poland should be a nation-state without mass immigration. He added that in Poland, Poles should rule, not some foreigners, the European Union, or big corporations. On the morning of the march, organisers shared an image showing Tusk as a puppet of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, declaring it time to cut the strings of foreign influence.
Political Fractures and Security Concerns
Marcin Osowski, a member of the organising committee, told broadcaster WNET that around half a million people attended today’s march, although municipal authorities have not yet announced an official estimate, which is always much lower than the figure claimed by the organisers. Last year, organisers said 300,000 people had attended, while the city put the figure at 100,000. Leading figures from Law and Justice, Development Plus, and the Confederation of the Polish Crown were present, alongside Nawrocki, who last year became the first sitting Polish president to attend the march. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of PiS, said during the march that it is about showing strength and using the march as a springboard for the election campaign, adding that unity is important. Krzysztof Bosak, one of the leaders of Confederation, told the crowd that under the white-and-red flag they form one community and must remove the current clique from power to form a pro-Polish government. However, Slawomir Mentzen, another main leader of Confederation, shared a picture of himself in front of a banner showing images of both Tusk and Kaczynski crossed out, alongside the word "Reset". While Bosak’s faction is amenable to working with PiS, Mentzen’s libertarian faction is less enthusiastic about such a coalition. Local authorities in Warsaw had put in place additional security measures following Saturday’s terrorist attack in Krakow, in which Michal Oksinski killed six people and injured over a dozen more by shooting an AR-15 rifle from his car. Oksinski died from his injuries on Monday, and the justice minister revealed that evidence uncovered so far had shown strong traces of right-wing extremism in his activity. Mayor Rafal Trzaszkowski noted that, other than the illegal use of pyrotechnics, the march was proceeding without incident. Tusk renewed his offer to meet Nawrocki, stating that they must be able to discuss things together without bitterness or hatred.
