| Author (Corporate) | Cardiff EDC (Compiler) |
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| Publication Date | 09/11/2018 |
| Content Type | Overview |
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Summary: Preparations for the centenary of the restoration of Poland's independence were hit by uncertainty after a court overturned an initial decision by Warsaw's leadership to ban a march often gathering nationalist and far-right demonstrators. The independence day march was held at the same time as an official military parade that was organised by the government before the ban was overturned. The joint event, that attracted an estimate of 200 000 people, was peaceful with no reports of offensive banners or outings. Due to controversy of the march, the polish opposition boycotted the official march. Further information: Even though, the march was chiefly peaceful, it still attracted members of European far-right groups. Warsaw's mayor initially barred the rally, saying the city had suffered enough from 'aggressive nationalism'. The mayor also cited major security concerns related to a police strike and the lack of charges against people who had broken laws at the previous march. On 8 November, a Polish court decided to overturn the decision, citing the constitutional right to freedom of assembly as the reason. The organisers of the nationalist march initially threatened to defy the ban and later claimed victory following the court decision. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Keywords | Nationalism |
| Countries / Regions | Poland |
