Tens of thousands join Poland’s nationalist Independence Day march

What the report says

Tens of thousands of nationalist sympathisers gathered in Warsaw on Poland’s Independence Day for an annual march that has often drawn criticism and political tension. The event took place on November 11, 2026, as police were deployed in the capital to secure the demonstration. The march commemorates Poland’s restoration of independence in 1918 after more than a century of partition by Russia, Prussia and Austria.

Al Jazeera reported that the march has long divided right-wing groups and the country’s governing centrists. Supporters portray it as a show of national pride, while critics have pointed to anti-immigration and anti-Semitic rhetoric associated with the event. This year’s gathering was held under the slogan “A Pole is the host in Poland,” and organisers said they expected record turnout, including visitors from foreign nationalist groups.

Poland’s conservative-nationalist President Karol Nawrocki attended the march. Before the event, Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged restraint and unity after a deadly attack in Krakow days earlier killed six people and wounded more than a dozen. Ministers said the suspect may have been influenced by far-right ideology, adding to the tense political backdrop.

The march comes amid wider debate in Poland over nationalism, public safety and political polarization. In general, such annual demonstrations are part of broader disputes in Europe over identity politics and the influence of far-right movements, though the specific focus here remained the Krakow attack and the response from Poland’s leaders.