Troops by Tomb of Unknown Soldier, Warsaw; below right: President Komorowski at parade in Plac Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego today; photos - PAPThe largest demonstration is to be by the nationalist Radical Camp and All-Polish Youth, formerly the youth wing of the League of Polish Families. They will be opposed by the anti-racist Never Again organisation.
The nationalist march is scheduled to begin at 15.00 CET from Plac Zamkowy outside the Old Town.
“It is important for us to show that those who are against national sovereignty maybe loud and noisy but are still in a minority,” Robert Winnicki, president of All Polish Youth told the PAP news agency.
Rafal Pankowski from Never Again writes in an article for the
Rzeczpospolita daily that all manifestations of neo-Nazism on the streets of Poland should be opposed.
“We will try to stop this demonstration. When neo-Nazis in Germany organize their demonstrations, anti-fascist counter-demonstrators led by mayors of cities often show up to oppose them. I regret that [Warsaw] President Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz does not want to join our efforts or condemn the march of the fascists,” writes Pankowski.
Last year scuffles broke out between nationalists and anti-nationalists and police are mounting a special operation aimed at keeping the two groups apart this year.
CelebrationsElsewhere the centrepiece of celebrations to mark Poland’s regaining independence following WW I in 1918 has been an Appeal of Remembrance at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Pilsudski Square, which begins at 12.00 CET. A speech will be given there by commander of Poland’s armed forces, President Bronislaw Komorowski.
In the afternoon, a parade of soldiers and equipment dating back to the Polish-Soviet War of 1920 will take place through the streets of Warsaw, put on by the Polish Military Museum.
There will also be the “Run for Independence” fun run which is now in its 12th year.
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