Thousands march in far-right rally to mark Poland's Independence Day
Warsaw rally saw people carrying anti-EU, anti-Ukraine and white supremacist banners
Tens of thousands of Poles including nationalist opposition chiefs walked through Warsaw on Monday in an annual Independence Day event held by the far right, some shooting red flares and carrying anti-EU, anti-Ukraine and white supremacist banners.
Thousands carried red-and-white Polish flags on Monday, while some chanted "White Europe of brotherly nations!" or "Stop the European Union!" or carried banners reading "Stop mass migration" or "Stop turning Poland into Ukraine."
Some expressed their support for U.S. president-elect Donald Trump by waving his election campaign flag or the U.S. national flag.
"I wish such events would become available all across Europe, especially now after Trump's victory," a person in the crowd from Warsaw said.
Another participant, John, a 58-year-old from Arizona, said he brought a pro-Trump flag because "he is very popular in Central Europe and people love Trump here."
Police said they detained 75 people and seized banned items from participants, including pyrotechnic materials, knives, telescopic batons and brass knuckles.
Friction between liberals, conservatives
The march has become a point of friction between Poland's hard-right and conservatives on one hand and on the other, the liberal centre, in power since a general election last year ended eight years of nationalist rule.
The far-right Confederation party, whose politicians are among the event organizers, appears to have edged up since the election, now polling at around 12 per cent, mirroring gains in parts of Europe in an anti-migration backlash.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), which governed Poland from 2015-2023 and is seeking a comeback, joined the march with other party members.
The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been in power since December, but its leftist and centre-right junior coalition members are struggling in opinion polls amid infighting over key campaign issues such as a return of abortion rights.
While both the nationalist PiS party and the Tusk coalition staunchly support Ukraine in its war against Russia, with the backing of the majority of Poles, some are frustrated by the influx of refugees from their eastern neighbour.
Warsaw authorities said some 90,000 people took part in the march, while organizers put the attendance at around 200,000.
Monday marked the 106th anniversary of Poland's restored independence at the end of the First World War after more than a century of being partitioned and ruled by Russia, Germany and Austro-Hungary. The date of Nov. 11 carries powerful weight for a nation where the trauma of losing national sovereignty endures.
President calls for sustained U.S. support
Polish President Andrzej Duda marked Independence Day with a call for sustained U.S. commitment to Europe's security in view of Russian aggression in the region, and argued that Ukraine's pre-2014 borders should be restored.
Duda, who has had friendly relations with Trump, said in a speech in Warsaw that Europe will continue to need U.S. protection.
"It is a pipe dream — as some people think — that Europe can ensure its own security today," Duda said.
Weighing on the minds of many is the war across Poland's border in Ukraine, and an expectation that Donald Trump's return to the White House will bring a change in the security situation in the region.
Some fear Trump could end the U.S. commitment to NATO, or make a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that could result in a permanent loss of territory for Ukraine and encourage Russia to attack other nations. Others believe Trump could persuade Putin to stop the fighting.
Later at a news conference, Duda said he had spoken to Trump and that they would meet before the inauguration in January.
With files from The Associated Press