"President Nawrocki divides the country." Germans comment on the Independence March in Warsaw

During this year's Independence March in Warsaw, police detained 66 people, 44 of whom were in possession of drugs. Over 450 pieces of pyrotechnics were also secured, said Karolina Gałecka, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, on Thursday. She added that despite some incidents, the march was peaceful.

When asked about the consequences of using flares during the meeting, she said that people who lit flares were at risk of, among others: fine up to PLN 5,000 zloty. Of course, this is not the end, because the 454 pieces of pyrotechnics confiscated by the police are one thing, but let us remember that the police have monitoring, cameras and those people who used flares or pyrotechnic materials will be identified and punished accordingly, she emphasized.

Gałecka emphasized that the ban on the use of pyrotechnics does not result from bad will, but from safety issues.

Let me remind you of a situation from a few years ago (...) when one of the photojournalists was injured as a result of the use of a flare by people who participated in the assembly, when pyrotechnic materials were thrown at the windows of a tenement house on the Poniatowski Bridge - she said.

As Jarosław Misztal, director of the Warsaw Security Center, announced on Wednesday, the turnout in this year's Independence March was up to 250,000. people.

Germany about the Independence March

"How the president divides the country on the day of the most important national holiday" - this is the title of the comment by "SZ" correspondent in Warsaw, Viktoria Grossmann. The author expressed the view that on November 11, Nawrocki "swept Tusk's government with accusations" and then took part in a march that "the extreme right uses to spread their slogans."

The "SZ" correspondent noted that although the Independence March passes through Warsaw every year, this year "it was closely watched" because "due to the ongoing dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal, there were fears that there might be riots." Additionally, as she pointed out, "the attack in Krakow deepened the anxiety in the country."

Grossmann noted that the organizers of the march "are associated with the right, and ultranationalists and representatives of the extreme right also participate in the march." Moreover, she added, "since Donald Tusk is in power, the march is also a demonstration of his political opponents."

"Personal accusations" by President Nawrocki

The correspondent of "SZ" reported that already at noon on Wednesday in Warsaw "the streets were filled with people who waved white and red flags or wore armbands, scarves, pins or wreaths of artificial flowers in Polish national colors."

"Parents with strollers, grandparents with grandchildren and groups of friends took to the streets. It resembled a family festival," we read in the correspondence. At the same time, as Grossmann emphasized, "the march was once again also a political manifestation."

"The march was attended by leading representatives of right-wing and nationalist parties. President Karol Nawrocki also took part in it," she noted.

The German journalist assessed that "although many people apparently just want to peacefully express their patriotism, it is on Independence Day that the political appropriation of the celebrations and polarization can be seen and heard especially clearly." In this context, she added that President Nawrocki, during his speech at Piłsudski Square, "directed personal accusations against the Minister of Finance, accusing him of ruining the army with spending cuts."