An Independence March in the capital, organized by Polish nationalists under the slogan “Poland the Bastion of Europe”, drew 75,000 people, according to police estimates cited by Interior Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.
The march organisers had said they expected 50,000, he added.
In recent years, the march on Independence Day, 11 November, has ended with outbreaks of violence and clashes with the police.
This time 7,000 police officers, some pulled in from other regions, were deployed in the capital. But there were no reports of serious unrest.
The marchers, including many young people but also families with children, waved flags in Poland’s national colours, red and white.
Some brandished the emblems of Polish football clubs. Others detonated fireworks and carried lit flares.
One banner read: “To be a Pole, to be a Catholic, is an privilege and an honour.” Another proclaimed: “Death to enemies of the Fatherland!”
At one point shouts of “Poles against immigrants!” broke out among the crowd, the PAP news agency reported.
Facebook flags burned
Marchers burned three flags with a Facebook logo, Polish Radio reported.
The social media giant recently blocked a number of profiles belonging to groups linked to the Independence March, including those of the organisers, claiming the pages did not meet its standards.
President urges harmony
Ahead of Independence Day, Polish President Andrzej Duda called for harmony. “Harmonious celebrations will be a sign that we as a nation can rise above unnecessary divides and disputes,” he said.
Last year, about 70,000 people took part in the nationalist rally in Warsaw, which was held under the slogan of “Poland for the Poles, Poles for Poland”, in reference to the refugee crisis.
March by Committee for the Defence of Democracy. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
Multiple marches
On Friday, a separate march was organized on a different route by the Committee for the Defence of Democracy, which has held a string of anti-government protests over the last year.
Some of the marchers carried signs reading: “Nationalism springs from hate.” Among those making speeches at the rally were the leaders of the opposition Civic Platform and Nowoczesna parties.
They appealed for an end to divisions in Poland, where politics have been marked by vitriolic disputes in recent years.
The march drew 10,000 people, said Interior Minister Błaszczak, citing police estimates. He added that march organisers had been prepared for a turnout ten times larger.
The third of the main marches was a smaller rally organized by the Anti-Fascist Coalition, including the left-wing Razem (Together) party.
History remembered
Independence Day is celebrated in Poland on 11 November, marking the country regaining independence in 1918 after 123 years of partition by the Russian empire, the kingdom of Prussia and the Habsburg empire.
(pk)