(MENAFN) Tens of thousands of participants thronged the streets of Warsaw on Tuesday for Poland’s yearly Independence March, an event that has grown into both a patriotic tradition and a focal point for political clashes.

This year’s march took place under a significant police presence, with a prohibition on pyrotechnics and politicians exchanging accusations.

Families draped in white-and-red flags walked alongside football ultras, religious organizations, Catholic traditionalists, neo-fascist groups, and an increasing number of international far-right attendees who view the event as a kind of “European nationalist pilgrimage.”

Earlier in the morning, at Pilsudski Square, a solemn ceremony honoring newly appointed generals and admirals was interrupted by boos and whistles.

When Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the crowd, parts of the audience jeered loudly, reflecting the growing tension between the pro-EU government and nationalist supporters.

Kosiniak-Kamysz directly addressed the crowd during his speech, saying: “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 imposed a ban on flares and firecrackers, long a signature feature of the march. Politicians from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party criticized the government’s approach as heavy-handed.

Nationalist figure Robert Bakiewicz warned of “searches” and political intimidation, while Slawomir Mentzen, leader of the far-right Confederation party, ridiculed the ban in a video statement.

By mid-afternoon, crowds assembled at Dmowski Roundabout — named after Roman Dmowski, co-founder of Poland’s pre-war nationalist movement — before marching through the city to the National Stadium under the slogan “One Nation, Strong Poland.”

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