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Warsaw, Poland – Hundreds are anticipated to hitch a nationalistic march in Poland’s capital Warsaw on Saturday, in what organisers describe because the “largest patriotic demonstration in Europe”.
Lately, the annual Independence March has attracted as much as 250,000 members.
However this yr, consultants and members count on a decrease turnout, amid inside splits between leaders of the rally and after the Confederation Occasion, which is historically allied with the occasion, suffered a spectacular electoral defeat final month.
First organised in 2010 to commemorate Poland’s Independence Day, the march normally attracts right-wing, conservative and neo-fascist teams from throughout Europe and the USA.
It historically takes place in opposition to the backdrop of racist, xenophobic and anti-liberal chants.
Saturday’s march will start at 2pm native time.
“Evidently the march might be a lot smaller and fewer seen,” Przemyslaw Witkowski, adjunct professor at Collegium Civitas and a researcher of political extremism, advised Al Jazeera. “There’s additionally a smaller quantity of people that signed up for the so-called March Guard – a bunch of volunteers working, defending, and controlling the occasion.”
However on the similar time, smaller numbers may see extra “radical” and violent forces at play, he mentioned.
“As soon as there’s a new, extra left-wing authorities in place, we’ll face a a lot larger pressure, which we’d be capable to really feel even this yr when the march nonetheless has a standing of an annual occasion,” Witkowski mentioned. “This choice may be reversed subsequent yr, and as soon as the march is confronted with registration points, we will certainly count on extra violence.”
This yr’s slogan, “Poland has not but perished”, refers back to the opening lyrics of the nationwide anthem, that are then {followed} by “so long as we reside”.
The music, written in 1797 when Poland was off the world’s map, was meant to boost the morale of the Polish Legions combating alongside Napoleon in Italy. It conveyed the message that regardless of missing a state of its personal, the Polish nation had endured a battle for independence.
Poland’s scenario couldn’t be extra completely different from the one described within the music.
Nevertheless, many on the political proper consider that the outcomes of the current parliamentary election, by which the coalition of the liberal Civic Platform, conservative Third Means, and left-wing Lewica got here out as winners, will result in the gradual erosion of the nation’s independence.
Historically pro-European and advocating for stronger European integration, liberal political forces are considered with elevated suspicion by the proper together with the Confederation Occasion, which was broadly anticipated to attain between 12-14 p.c of the vote. It ended up with 8.6 p.c.
“We are able to count on – with a excessive likelihood – a change in EU treaties, which is able to have an effect on Poland’s sovereignty and Poland’s independence within the worldwide area, and particularly throughout the [European Union],” Bartosz Malewski, head of the Independence March affiliation, advised reporters in October.
“This slogan additionally expresses our place on the necessity to emphasise sovereignty and the menace to sovereignty.”
Different march members agree.
Grzegorz Cwik, from the nationalist Niklot affiliation, advised Al Jazeera, mentioned he fears the “federalisation of the European Union, cuts of navy spending, and dismantling of social programmes”.
Thus far, the successful coalition has not constructed a authorities, however the current election outcomes usually are not the one challenges confronted by the march organisers.
The previous head of the Independence March affiliation, Robert Bakiewicz, over time moved nearer in direction of Legislation and Justice, the previous ruling nationalist get together, and was broadly seen as utilizing the occasion for his personal political positive aspects.
Many march-goers additionally accused him of creating the demonstration too mainstream and of combating in opposition to radical nationalists, who in reality are the occasion’s founders.
“I feel that for the previous few years, the march’s components was sadly extra picnic-like, and hooligans, for instance, stopped attending it,” Cwik mentioned.
Finally, a dispute between Bakiewicz and the march’s management near Confederation’s circles led to a public alternate of accusations and the elimination of Bakiewicz from his submit.
Bakiewicz was additionally accused of preserving passwords to the Independence March’s social media accounts, successfully blocking the brand new management’s entry to well-followed fan pages.
It’s unlikely that he’ll present up on the march.
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