Nationalists dominate Poland’s March of Independence

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) – Nationalist groups were visibly dominant in Poland’s March of Independence through the streets of Warsaw on Friday.

The estimated 100,000-strong march was initiated by the far-right All-Polish Youth and the National Radical Camp (ONR) as part of Poland's National Independence Day commemorations.

Since its inception in 2010, the march has seen street clashes between far-right and far-left groups and police action to quell unrest.

“We want this march to be peaceful. We pray that we will be able to behave like Polish patriots,” said Robert Bakiewicz, an organizer, at the start of the march.

Politicians of the ruling United Right party -- Antoni Macierewicz, Zbigniew Ziobro and Janusz Kowalski -- also joined the march.

Poland marks on Nov. 11 the anniversary of the restoration of Poland's sovereignty in 1918 from the German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires.

In 2018, on the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining independence, 250,000 people took part in the march, which was co-organized by the government of Mateusz Morawiecki.