The Independence March () is an annual
patriotic
Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...
and
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
demonstration in
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
held on
Poland's Independence Day, November 11. Since 2011, the March has attracted annually up to 100 thousand participants.
In 2020, the
March
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...
was organized similar to one of a car procession. Major participating organizations have included the
Confederation
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
, the
National Radical Camp
The National Radical Camp () was an ultranationalist and antisemitic political movement which existed in the pre-World War II Second Polish Republic, and an illegal Polish anti-communist,[All-Polish Youth
The All-Polish Youth () refers to two inter-linked Polish far-right ultranationalist List of youth organizations, youth organizations, with a Political Catholicism, Catholic-nationalist philosophy. Its agenda declares that its aim is "''to raise ...]
and
Law and Justice
Law and Justice ( , PiS) is a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist and National conservatism, national-conservative List of political parties in Poland, political party in Poland. The party is a member of European Conservatives and Refo ...
.
About 60,000 were in the 2017 march marking the 99th anniversary of independence, with placards such as "Clean Blood" seen on the march.
Over the years other placards or slogans have included "Pure Poland, white Poland" and “white Europe of brotherly nations”.
Many European nationalists from around Europe usually join the March.
Theme
(Source: Association of Independence March)
* 2012 – ''Let's get Poland back'' (),
* 2013 – ''New generation is coming'' (),
* 2014 – ''Patriot Army'' (),
* 2015 – ''Poland for Poles, Poles for Poland'' (),
* 2016 – ''Poland as a stronghold of Europe'' (),
* 2017 – ''We want God!'' (),
* 2018 – ''For You Poland'' (),
* 2019 – ''Have in Your care the whole nation'' (),
* 2020 – ''Our civilization, our rules'' (),
* 2021 – ''Independence – not for sale'' (),
* 2022 – ''Strong Nation Great Poland'' ().
* 2023 – ''Poland Is Not Yet Lost'' ()
* 2024 – ''We are the power of Great Poland'' ()
Gallery
File:Hasło Marszu Niepodległości 2015.jpg, Demonstrators with the slogan of the Independence March: Poland for Poles, Poles for Poland (2015)
File:Independence March 2018 Warsaw (48).jpg, Marchers from Hungary (2018)
File:Independence March Warsaw 2021 (4).jpg, Independence March 2021
File:Independence March 2022 - Straz Narodowa.jpg, Banners at the Independence March in 2022
File:Kijow-Warszawa Wspolna Sprawa.jpg, Banner at the 2022 Independence March
File:Independence March, Warsaw 2024 18.jpg, Independence March in 2024
File:2019, Independence March, Warszaw (14).jpg, Banner paying tribute to the Holy Cross Mountains Brigade, 2019
International guests
In 2017, American
white supremacist
White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...
Richard Spencer planned to speak at the march, but was banned from doing so.
For the march in 2018, the Italian
neo-fascist
Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology which includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, ultraconservatism, racial supremacy, right-wing populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xe ...
party
Forza Nuova was invited. Far-right activists and groups from Hungary, Estonia, Belarus, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, USA and Portugal joined the event in 2021 and formed the “Nationalistic Column” with Polish far-right organizations and movements, including but not limited to:
“Trzecia Droga”,
“Szturmowcy”, Autonomiczni Nacjonaliści, All-Polish Youth, National Rebirth of Poland (NOP) and the ONR.
See also
*
Far-right politics in Poland
Like in other nations across the world, there are several far-right () organizations and parties operating in Poland.
History and ideology Past
An important element of Polish nationalism has been its identification with the Catholic Church ...
*
Polish nationalism
Polish nationalism () is a nationalism which asserts that the Polish people are a nation and which affirms the cultural unity of Poles. British historian of Poland Norman Davies defines nationalism as "a doctrine ... to create a nation by arous ...
*
Independence March (Poland)
The Independence March () is an annual patriotic and nationalist demonstration in Warsaw held on Poland's Independence Day, November 11. Since 2011, the March has attracted annually up to 100 thousand participants. In 2020, the March was organ ...
Polish page
References
External links
{{Commons category, Independence March
Official page
Events in Warsaw
Demonstrations
Far-right politics in Europe