Europe’s largest right-wing rally set to go ahead in Poland despite being banned

Organisers say event’s 'formula’ will change this year

Poland’s Independence March invites far-right groups to gather in Warsaw’s centre (Pictured: Last year’s march) (AFP via Getty)

The largest right-wing gathering in Europe is slated to go ahead this week despite being officially cancelled, with organisers in Poland calling for participants to join in vehicles rather than on-foot.

The Independence March takes place annually on 11 November in Warsaw but was cancelled this year by the mayor of the Polish capital due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event has drawn more than 200,000 people in previous years but has drawn controversy for the anti-immigrant, anti-semitic and anti-LGBT sentiment expressed by participants.  

Last week, event organisers published a poster advertising the event that showed a medieval knight stabbing a sword through a star. The star was half-rainbow coloured, half block red in reference to Poland's LGBT community and left-wing movement.

The poster bore the slogan “Our civilisation, our rules”, in reference to Polish nationalists' pushback against progressive protests.

Poland has seen some of the largest protests in its history in recent week as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in opposition to a near-total ban on abortion from the country's top court.

In response, the Independence March Association, organiser of the 11 November event, gathered groups with the stated aim of protecting churches from protesters angry at the Catholic Church's influence on Polish politics.

After Warsaw's mayor Rafal Trzaskowski announced the ban due to coronavirus restrictions, march organisers began suggesting that followers go for a “spontaneous walk” at the event's usual meeting place at the the previously scheduled time.

On Monday, the Independence March Association issued a statement inviting participants to join the march in vehicles to avoid coronavirus transmission.

“As every year, we are inviting all patriots to come to Warsaw to celebrate this unique date together at the Independence March. This year, putting the safety of the participants as a priority, especially the veterans who join us each year, we have decided to change the formula of the event,” the statement read.

March organisers went on to take a swipe at the recent abortion protesters: “We detach ourselves from any attempts to destabilise and anarchise the political and social life of the country, which over the past weeks have been made by the left-wing and liberal groups.”

Women’s Strike, organisers of the recent abortion rights protests, called on their supporters to join a “Quarantine from nationalism” day on 11 November and  avoid any confrontations with the right-wing marchers.