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"Our civilization, our rules": Participants in the independence march march with Polish flags
Photo: Tomasz Gzell / PAP / dpa
Despite a ban, thousands of Polish nationalists and right-wing radicals once again marched through Warsaw on the so-called independence march.
The police were on duty with a large number.
Many side streets were blocked off.
Protesters carried flags in the national colors of white and red. Slogans such as "Let us defend our civilization" could be read on posters.
Some threw fireworks and lit Bengali fires.
In Poland, gatherings are currently only allowed with a maximum of five people.
The Polish government had also asked people not to take part in the march.
The organizers then called for a car and motorcycle parade through the city center.
However, many participants left cars and motorcycles in back streets and continued on foot.
The demonstrators ignored requests from the police to follow the Corona regulations and to keep the necessary distances.
Many did not wear a mouth and nose covering.
As reported by the AFP news agency, police said there was at least one incident in which police officers were attacked by "groups of hooligans".
In recent years there have been repeated serious riots during the march.
This year the motto was: "Our civilization, our rules".
The poster for this shows a knight smashing a red and rainbow-colored star - an allusion to communism, socialism and the LGBT community of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.
Independence Day on November 11th is a national holiday in Poland.
On this day in 1918, Jozef Pilsudski had taken command of the Polish troops in Warsaw and proclaimed independence.
This coincided with the conclusion of the armistice between Germany and France.
With the peace treaties after the First World War, the long division of Poland by Prussia, Austria-Hungary and Russia was overcome.
Tens of thousands against abortion law
It is not the first time that demonstrations have taken place in Poland despite the pandemic: tens of thousands have been protesting against tightening abortion laws for weeks.
Since a ruling by the Polish Constitutional Court on October 22, a pregnant woman is supposed to carry her child to term even if it is not viable.
In fact, this amounts to a ban on abortion.
Most recently, the Polish national-conservative ruling party PiS lost a massive amount in polls.
In view of the protests, the government has been reluctant to let the law come into force.
To do this, it would have to publish the judgment in an official statement.
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kim / dpa / AFP
