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Independence march: Smaller crowds expected at Poland\u2019s nationalist rally | Politics News<\/p>\n
Warsaw, Poland \u2013<\/strong> Thousands are expected to join a nationalistic march in Poland\u2019s capital Warsaw on Saturday, in what organisers describe as the \u201clargest patriotic demonstration in Europe\u201d.<\/p>\n In recent years, the annual Independence March has attracted up to 250,000 participants.<\/p>\n But this year, experts and participants expect a lower turnout, amid internal splits between leaders of the rally and after the Confederation Party, which is traditionally allied with the event, suffered a spectacular electoral defeat last month.<\/p>\n First organised in 2010 to commemorate Poland\u2019s Independence Day, the march usually attracts right-wing, conservative and neo-fascist groups from across Europe and the United States.<\/p>\n It traditionally takes place against the backdrop of racist, xenophobic and anti-liberal chants.<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s march will begin at 2pm local time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems that the march will be much smaller and less visible,\u201d Przemyslaw Witkowski, adjunct professor at Collegium Civitas and a researcher of political extremism, told Al Jazeera. \u201cThere is also a smaller number of people who signed up for the so-called March Guard \u2013 a group of volunteers operating, protecting, and controlling the event.\u201d<\/p>\n But at the same time, smaller numbers could see more \u201cradical\u201d and violent forces at play, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce there is a new, more left-wing government in place, we will face a much greater tension, which we might be able to feel even this year when the march still has a status of an annual event,\u201d Witkowski said. \u201cThis decision might be reversed next year, and once the march is faced with registration issues, we can surely expect more violence.\u201d<\/p>\n This year\u2019s slogan, \u201cPoland has not yet perished\u201d, refers to the opening lyrics of the national anthem, which are then followed by \u201cas long as we live\u201d.<\/p>\n The song, written in 1797 when Poland was off the world\u2019s map, was meant to raise the morale of the Polish Legions fighting alongside Napoleon in Italy. It conveyed the message that despite lacking a state of its own, the Polish nation had endured a struggle for independence.<\/p>\n Poland\u2019s situation could not be more\u00a0different from the one described in the song.<\/p>\n However, many on the political right believe that the results of the recent parliamentary election, in which the coalition of the liberal Civic Platform, conservative Third Way, and left-wing Lewica came out as winners, will lead to the gradual erosion of the country\u2019s independence.<\/p>\n Traditionally pro-European and advocating for stronger European integration, liberal political forces are viewed with increased suspicion by the right including the Confederation Party, which was widely expected to score between 12-14 percent of the vote. It ended up with 8.6 percent.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can expect \u2013 with a high probability \u2013 a change in EU treaties, which will affect Poland\u2019s sovereignty and Poland\u2019s independence in the international arena, and in particular within the [European Union],\u201d Bartosz Malewski, head of the Independence March association, told reporters in October.<\/p>\n \u201cThis slogan also expresses our position on the need to emphasise sovereignty and the threat to sovereignty.\u201d<\/p>\n Other march participants agree.<\/p>\n Grzegorz Cwik, from the nationalist Niklot association, told Al Jazeera, said he fears the \u201cfederalisation of the European Union, cuts of military spending, and dismantling of social programmes\u201d.<\/p>\n So far, the winning coalition has not built a government, but the recent election results are not the only challenges faced by the march organisers.<\/p>\n The former head of the Independence March association, Robert Bakiewicz, over the years moved closer towards Law and Justice, the former ruling nationalist party, and was widely seen as using the event for his own political gains.<\/p>\n Many march-goers also accused him of making the demonstration too mainstream and of fighting against radical nationalists, who in fact are the event\u2019s founders.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that for the past few years, the march\u2019s formula was unfortunately more picnic-like, and hooligans, for example, stopped attending it,\u201d Cwik said.<\/p>\n Eventually, a dispute between Bakiewicz and the march\u2019s leadership close to Confederation\u2019s circles led to a public exchange of accusations and the removal of Bakiewicz from his post.<\/p>\n Bakiewicz was also accused of keeping passwords to the Independence March\u2019s social media accounts, effectively blocking the new leadership\u2019s access to well-followed fan pages.<\/p>\n It is unlikely that he will show up at the march.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0635\u062f\u0631<\/a>
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