(MENAFN) Tens of thousands of people packed the streets of Warsaw on Tuesday for Poland’s annual Independence March, a patriotic event that has increasingly become a stage for political friction.

This year’s gathering unfolded under heightened security, with pyrotechnics banned and politicians exchanging sharp accusations. Families draped in white-and-red flags marched alongside football ultras, religious groups, Catholic traditionalists, neo-fascist contingents, and international far-right attendees who view the event as a pan-European nationalist gathering.

Earlier, a promotion ceremony at Pilsudski Square for newly appointed generals and admirals was interrupted by boos and whistles. As Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the crowd, sections of attendees jeered.

Kosiniak-Kamysz responded: “Shouting and whistling did not bring freedom...Today we stand together, even though we have different views. Poland is our common, sacred denominator.”

For the first time in years, the Masovian Voivode prohibited flares and firecrackers, key symbols of the march. Critics from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party accused the government of overreach. Nationalist leader Robert Bakiewicz warned of “searches” and political intimidation, while far-right politician Slawomir Mentzen mocked the restrictions in a video message.

By mid-afternoon, the crowd assembled at Dmowski Roundabout, named after pre-war nationalist co-founder Roman Dmowski, and then marched across the city to the National Stadium under the slogan “One Nation, Strong Poland.”

President Karol Nawrocki emphasized the holiday as a warning against external pressures: “Some politicians are ready to surrender Polish freedom piece by piece to foreign institutions and tribunals,” he said. “The president will not allow Poland to become the peacock and parrot of nations, mindlessly repeating what comes from the West.” Prime Minister Donald Tusk offered a contrasting view, posting on social media: “No one has a monopoly on patriotism. No one has the right to raise their voice against another Pole on this day.”

For many participants, the march commemorates Nov. 11, 1918, when Poland regained independence after 123 years of foreign partition. Critics, particularly in Warsaw, view it as a tense annual spectacle. Last year, estimates ranged from 90,000 to 250,000 attendees.

Once a modest state holiday, the celebration has grown into a contentious event. Controversial banners and incidents, such as the 2020 burning of a rainbow-flagged balcony, have made international headlines. Today, as Poland navigates a new government and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine reshapes European security, the Independence March continues to reflect broader debates over history, national identity, and societal divisions. Its pageantry, banners, chants, and clashes reveal a country balancing pride with insecurity, and tradition with modern challenges.

MENAFN12112025000045017640ID1110330972