The independency March is an yearly patriotic manifestation organized in Warsaw on 11 November, on the National independency Day. The first march took place in 2010, and since 2011, it has been organized by the independency March Association. He grew out of national backgrounds and became 1 of the largest specified manifestations in Europe, gathering, depending on the estimates of the town hall or organizers, respective twelve to respective 100 1000 participants. This guide explains the genesis, turnout and legal disputes around the march and presents the full calendar of the most crucial holidays and national anniversarys.
What is the March of independency and erstwhile it takes place?
The independency March is an yearly public patriotic manifestation passing the streets of Warsaw 11 NovemberOn National independency Day. Its intent is to celebrate Poland's regaining independency in 1918 after 123 years of business and to show its attachment to the national and Catholic tradition.
The march grew out of the national movement and over the years it became 1 of the most recognizable events of the Polish public calendar. For some, it is the largest patriotic manifestation in Europe, for others, the origin of political and legal disputes. Below are the facts: how the march arose, how the turnout changed, what controversy it was accompanied by and what its legal position was.
How did the independency March begin? Genesis since 2010
The First March of independency passed through the streets of the capital November 11, 2010. The initiators were national movement organizations: All-Polish Youth and National extremist Camp. The event referred to earlier, much smaller gatherings of national environments, which in erstwhile years gathered at most respective 100 participants.
The thought of formulating the march as an open, mass patriotic manifestation proved to be groundbreaking. Already the first edition attracted thousands of people, and subsequent years brought a dynamic increase in attendance. The way of the march traditionally leads from roundabout Roman Dmowski towards the membrane of the National Stadium, although it was modified in individual years.
Who organizes the independency March?
Since 2011, the organizer of the march is Independence March Association — set up specifically to give the event a permanent organisational and legal structure. The Association shall be liable for the submission of the assembly, the securing of the route, the setting and the yearly theme.
Among those publically associated with the organisation of the march in the following years, among others, activists connected with national movement and the environment of the National Movement were mentioned. It is worth noting that the march gathers not only members of national organizations, but besides families, fans, scouts and people unrelated to any political formation, which treat on 11 November as an chance to manifest patriotism.
How many people come to the independency March? Turnout
The number of participants in the march is 1 of the most disputed topics. Estimates of services and city authorities are mostly much lower than those provided by the organizers. Differences may happen respective times, and the 2 sources should be given fairly. The figures below are approximate, to be treated as indicative.
| 2018 (100th anniversary) | approx. 200 000 (joint march with authorities) | Okay. $250,000. |
| 2020 | None (ban, motorised form) | several-several thousand. |
| 2022 | Okay. 100,000. | Okay. 150,000. |
| 2023 | approx. 100 1000 (part of the media up to 160 thousand) | approx. 300,000. |
| 2024 | Okay. Ninety thousand. | at least 250 000. |
As you can see, the discrepancies are very large. Regardless of the methodology adopted, the march has been gathering dozens for years, and according to organizers hundreds of thousands of people, making it 1 of the largest cyclical manifestations in this part of Europe.
Controversy and attempts to illegalize the march
The past of the march was accompanied by disputes — from serial incidents to court battles about the very anticipation of his organization.
Riots 2011 and 2013
Early editions of the march marked clashes with police and countermanifests. The loudest incidents occurred in 2011, and in 2013, among others, erstwhile the defender box was set on fire in front of the Russian embassy (the investigation in this case was yet dropped due to the non-detection of the perpetrators). These events were utilized as an argument against the march, although the organizers stressed that narrow, aggressive groups were liable for most of the incidents, alternatively than all participants.
Password and 100th anniversary of independency (2017-2018)
In 2017, widely commented on the banners carried by any participants, including the content referring to the slogans of "white Europe". The year 2018, on the centenary of regaining independence, brought an agreement: the march was held as a joint event, attended by the highest state authorities with president Andrzej Duda. The turnout at the time belonged to evidence - evidence organizers and authorities spoke of about 250,000 participants.
2020 ban (pandemic)
In 2020, the president of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, refused to accept the organization of the march, citing the negative opinion of the wellness department and the epidemic situation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ban, the organizers conducted the event in the form of a motorized ride, yet a large group of people walked, and there were besides clashes with the police.
Loss of cyclical assembly position (2021)
A key legal dispute took place in 2021. The Mazovian Voivodeship considered the march cyclical meeting 2021–2023, giving him precedence and legal protection. Rafał Trzaskowski challenged that decision. October 27, 2021 The territory court in Warsaw responded to the arguments of the city president and repealed the provincial decision, and October 29, 2021 The Court of Appeal has upheld this ruling.
The court argued that the continuity of the three-year assembly had been interrupted due to the fact that the march in 2020 was held despite the ban and as illegal it could not be included in the required sequence. In practice, this meant that in subsequent years the march no longer benefited from privileged cyclical status. Nevertheless, the event took place in subsequent years and gathered crowds.
What is the legal position of the March of Independence?
To realize legal disputes, it is worth explaining the concept cyclic Assembly. Pursuant to the Convention Law (Article 26a), specified position may be attained by a gathering organised by the same organiser on the same site or on the same way at least 4 times a year according to the timetable developed, or at least erstwhile a year on public and national holidays, if specified events have taken place in the last 3 years and aimed, in particular, at celebrating crucial and applicable events in Poland's history. Consent is given by the voivode, and the cyclical position — granted for a period of no more than 3 years — gives precedence over another assemblies at the same place and time and hinders its prohibition.
After the 2021 rulings, the march lost this privileged status. In the following years, he was reported on a general basis, which did not prevent his conduct. Disputes around the legal form show how powerfully the issues of order are intertwined in Poland with politics and historical memory.
Calendar of the most crucial Christmases and National Anniversarys
The independency March is part of the wider calendar of Polish holidays and national anniversary. The table below summarises the most crucial of them, and there are further brief descriptions of their meaning.
| 1 March | National Day of Memory of the “Cursed Soldiers” | Anti-communist Underground | No. No. |
| 3 May | National Day of 3rd May | Constitution 3 May 1791 | Yes |
| 1 August | Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising | The 1944 Uprising | No. No. |
| 15 August | Polish Army Festival | The 1920 Warsaw Battle | Yes |
| 11 November | National independency Day | Regaining independency 1918 | Yes |
| 27 December | National triumph Day of the Wielkopolska Uprising | Wielkopolska Uprising 1918–1919 | No. No. |
1 March — National Day of Memory of the Cursed Soldiers
The feast established by the Act of February 3, 2011, dedicated to the soldiers of the anti-communist and independency underground. Date selected symbolically: March 1, 1951 in a prison in Warsaw Mokotów, after the show trial, the death conviction was executed on the leaders of the 4th Board of the Main Association “Freedom and Independence” — with the president of WiN Lt. This day brings back the memory of the heroes that PRL condemned to forget.
3 May — 3rd May National Day
Memorizes the resolution Constitution 3 May 1791 — the first in Europe and the second in the planet (after the US of 1787) of a modern fundamental law governing the state strategy and the rights and obligations of citizens. The festival was already celebrated in 1919, and was reinstated by law in 1990. At the time of the captivity, the public celebration of this anniversary was prohibited by the possessors.
1 August — anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising
August 1, 1944 at 5:00 p.m. (the alleged "W" hour) troops of the National Army started an uprising against the German occupier. Planned for respective days, the uprising continued 63 days. about 40–50,000 insurgents were active in the fighting, which faced a severe shortage of weapons and ammunition. all year at “W” the sirens sound all over Poland, and life in the capital dies for a while.
15 August — Polish Army Day
To commemorate triumph in Warszawski Battle Common 13–25 August 1920 during the Polish-Bolshevik War. The decisive start at the prefields of Warsaw ended with the triumph of Polish troops over the Red Army. The conflict is customaryly called “The Miracle on the Vistula”, British diplomat Edgar Vincent D’Abernon ranked it as a decisive conflict in the past of the planet due to the fact that it stopped the march of Bolshevikism to the west of Europe.
11 November — National independency Day
Most crucial Polish state holiday, commemorating regaining independency in 1918 After 123 years of labor. Established by Law of April 23, 1937, abolished in 1945 by the communist authorities and restored by law with February 15, 1989. It is on that day that the independency March is held and authoritative state ceremonies with the participation of the highest authorities.
27 December — National triumph Day of the Wielkopolska Uprising
The youngest of these holidays, established by the Act of October 1, 2021 (President Andrzej Duda signed it on 23 November 2021). Remembers the detonation Wielkopolska Uprising December 27, 1918 in Poznań, 1 of the fewer winning draws in Polish history, thanks to which Wielkopolska returned to the reborn Republic. Christmas is not a day off from work.
Other valid dates in the national calendar
Apart from the above mentioned in the Polish calendar there are also:
- 2 May — Flag Day of the Republic of Poland and Polish and Polish Day behind the Border, symbolically filling the period of the alleged Mayday between the feast of work and the anniversary of the Constitution.
- September 1 — The anniversary of planet War II (German aggression on Poland in 1939), a day of remembrance of war victims.
- September 17 — anniversary of russian aggression against Poland (1939) and Sibirak Day.
- 31 August — Anniversary of the August Agreements and the birth of “Solidarity” (1980).
Why is national holidays important?
Christmases and national anniversaries service as a Community memory account — they remind of the price that generations of Poles paid for freedom, and they build a sense of continuity between the past and the present. The March of Independence, regardless of its disputes, has become 1 of the ways in which many Poles experience this memory in public space.
However, a fair approach to these dates requires separation of facts from emotions: precise information about the origin of Christmas, fair presentation of disputed estimates of attendance and attributing controversial assessments to circumstantial sources. This is the point of this guide – it is intended to service as a permanent mention point for anyone who wants to realize both the march itself and the broader calendar of Polish national memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the first March of independency held?
The First March of independency passed through Warsaw on 11 November 2010. It was initiated by organizations of the national movement — the All-Polish Youth and the National-Radical Camp. Since 2011, the event has been organized by the independency March Association.
Who organizes the independency March?
Since 2011, the organizer is the independency March Association, established specifically for this purpose. It is liable for submitting the assembly, securing the way and the yearly theme. Not only the national environment, but besides families and non-political people participate in the march.
How many people come to the independency March?
Estimates vary from origin to source. The Warsaw authorities usually service between tens and about 100 1000 people, while the organizers talk about 150–300 1000 participants. evidence attendance was recorded in 2018, on the centenary of regaining independence.
Why was the independency March attempted to legalize?
In 2020, the president of Warsaw banned the march, citing an epidemic situation. In 2021, the courts removed the position of the cyclical assembly from the march, recognising that continuity had been interrupted by making a march against the ban in 2020. Nevertheless, the event took place in subsequent years.
What are the most crucial Polish national holidays?
The most crucial ones are: 1 March (Soldiers of the Curse), 3 May (Constitution of 3 May), 1 August (Year of the Warsaw Uprising), 15 August (Holy of the Polish Army and the conflict of Warsaw), 11 November (National independency Day) and 27 December (Wielkopolskie Uprising). The holidays are May 3, August 15 and November 11.
What is simply a cyclical assembly, and why was it crucial for the march?
The cyclical assembly is simply a legal position granted to manifestations organised regularly by the same organizer and related to crucial historical events. It gives precedence to another gatherings at the same place and time and makes it hard to ban them. The independency March lost this position by virtue of a 2021 court ruling.
Sources
- March of independency — Wikipedia, free encyclopedia (en.wikipedia.org), accessed 2026
- National Memorial Day “Cursed Soldiers” — Institute of National Memory, ipn.gov.pl (Law of 3 February 2011)
- National Winning Day of the Wielkopolska Uprising — IPN Poznań and the Chancellery of the president of Poland (Law of 1 October 2021, signed 23 November 2021)
- National independency Day — Wikipedia (Law of 23 April 1937, Restoration by Act of 15 February 1989)
- Warszawska conflict 1920 — Wikipedia and E. V. D’Abernon, “The Eighth decisive conflict in planet history”
- Judgments on the position of cyclical march (27 and 29 October 2021) — um.warszawa.pl, rp.pl, tvn24.pl, right.pl
- Convention Law, Art. 26a (definition of cyclical assembly) — lexlege.pl, ngo.pl
- The incidental at the 2013 independency March (the building at the Russian embassy) and 2017 (the slogan “White Europe”) — tvn24.pl, rmf24.pl, brpo.gov.pl
- No march in 2020 and agreement in 2018 — journal.pl, polsatnews.pl, biej.pl, president.pl
