(MENAFN) Tens of thousands poured into Warsaw on Tuesday for Poland’s annual Independence March, a patriotic event that has increasingly become a focal point of political tension.

This year, authorities deployed a heightened police presence, imposed a ban on pyrotechnics, and witnessed politicians exchanging pointed accusations. Families draped in white-and-red flags marched alongside football ultras, religious organizations, Catholic traditionalists, neo-fascist groups, and an expanding number of far-right visitors from across Europe treating the event as a nationalist pilgrimage.

The day began at Pilsudski Square with a promotion ceremony for newly appointed generals and admirals. The solemn event was disrupted by boos and whistles as Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the crowd, highlighting friction between the pro-EU government and nationalist right-wing supporters.

Kosiniak-Kamysz confronted the disruption head-on, stating: “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 several years, the Masovian Voivode prohibited flares and firecrackers, long a signature feature of the march. Opposition politicians from the Law and Justice (PiS) party criticized the ban as excessive, while nationalist activist Robert Bakiewicz warned of “searches” and political intimidation. Slawomir Mentzen, leader of the far-right Confederation party, mocked the restrictions in a video address.

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

President Karol Nawrocki framed the holiday as a caution against external influence on Poland, saying: “Some politicians are ready to surrender Polish freedom piece by piece to foreign institutions and tribunals. 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 perspective on X, the U.S.-based social media platform: “no one has a monopoly on patriotism. No one has the right to raise their voice against another Pole on this day.”

For many, the march is a proud commemoration of Nov. 11, 1918, when Poland regained independence after 123 years of partition by Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Yet in Warsaw, critics see it as a source of tension. Last year, city officials estimated 90,000 attendees, while organizers claimed 250,000.

Independence Day celebrations were once modest state observances. The event’s transformation accelerated after communism’s fall, particularly in the late 2000s. The 2017 march drew global scrutiny for banners reading “Pure Blood, Sober Mind,” while a 2020 incident in which marchers set fire to a balcony displaying a rainbow flag became a viral symbol of Poland’s culture wars.

As Poland navigates a new government and the ongoing war in Ukraine reshapes European security, the Independence March remains a key indicator—not only of right-wing activism but also of broader societal debates over history, identity, and national belonging. Its displays, chants, and clashes reflect a country balancing pride with insecurity, tradition with modernity.

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