Warsaw City Hall has refused a permit for the annual nationalist “Independence March,” citing confusing and repetitive applications, as well as safety concerns.
First held in 2011, the Independence March has been criticized for becoming a vehicle for the far-right, during which demonstrators have sometimes carried anti-Semitic and homophobic banners. For a number of years, the march was also dogged by violent clashes between the demonstrators and the police.
The march takes place on November 11, Independence Day in Poland, a national holiday.
Warsaw City Hall said the Independence March Association first filed notice on September 28, 2024, for a gathering scheduled from 9 p.m. on October 28 until 1 a.m. on November 12.
“The organizer subsequently filed additional notices, virtually identical in content, differing only in the initial date of the planned activity," City Hall added.
In later notices, the starting dates were changed to November 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, before being shifted again to 2 p.m. on November 11, ending at 1 a.m. the next day. The proposed march would also follow a route through central Warsaw.
City officials also raised public safety concerns, explaining that the proposed event could severely disrupt the city's emergency services and transportation.
“The march in its proposed form would lead to significant disruption in the city, risking the health and safety of residents,” Warsaw City Hall said.
The Independence March Association, which has organized the event in previous years, plans to appeal the decision.
According to Poland’s state news agency, PAP, the group argues that the ruling “violates the will of thousands of patriots” who want to celebrate Poland’s independence.
The march has faced scrutiny in the past, with ongoing investigations related to incidents from the 2018 event. Warsaw police recently searched the association’s headquarters as part of a criminal investigation into potential illegal activity during the 2018 march.
The march takes place on November 11, Independence Day in Poland, a national holiday.
Warsaw City Hall said the Independence March Association first filed notice on September 28, 2024, for a gathering scheduled from 9 p.m. on October 28 until 1 a.m. on November 12.
“The organizer subsequently filed additional notices, virtually identical in content, differing only in the initial date of the planned activity," City Hall added.
In later notices, the starting dates were changed to November 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, before being shifted again to 2 p.m. on November 11, ending at 1 a.m. the next day. The proposed march would also follow a route through central Warsaw.
City officials also raised public safety concerns, explaining that the proposed event could severely disrupt the city's emergency services and transportation.
“The march in its proposed form would lead to significant disruption in the city, risking the health and safety of residents,” Warsaw City Hall said.
The Independence March Association, which has organized the event in previous years, plans to appeal the decision.
According to Poland’s state news agency, PAP, the group argues that the ruling “violates the will of thousands of patriots” who want to celebrate Poland’s independence.
The march has faced scrutiny in the past, with ongoing investigations related to incidents from the 2018 event. Warsaw police recently searched the association’s headquarters as part of a criminal investigation into potential illegal activity during the 2018 march.
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