||| Jacek Kadaj | Dreamstime.com|||
The Warsaw Mayor has lost her round in court after a judge ruled that the planned Independence Day march of this Sunday 11 November, which drew 60,000 nationalists last year, can go ahead.
The Warsaw court accepted the organizer’s appeal and overturned the ban, arguing that “the freedom of assemblies plays an important role in a democratic state of law and the right of assemblies is protected by the constitution.”
The organizers, members of Polish far-right groups, claimed on Thursday evening that "we are victorious, the independence march will take place in Warsaw."
Warsaw’s outgoing liberal mayor, Ms Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, who banned the march on Wednesday, said her city had "suffered enough because of aggressive nationalism. This is not how the celebrations should look on the 100th anniversary of regaining our independence."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MorningAddiction?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MorningAddiction</a> A Polish court has overturned a ban on a nationalist march in Warsaw to mark 100 years of Poland's independence.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AroundTheWorld?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AroundTheWorld</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z6mOaJtiep">pic.twitter.com/Z6mOaJtiep</a></p>— 91.2 Crooze Fm (@912CroozeFM) <a href="https://twitter.com/912CroozeFM/status/1060748148518334464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Polish capital is fearful that just as last year, far-right protesters shouting anti-immigrant slogans will be shown on worldwide evening newscasts.
Last year, the event featured masked marchers in a section known as the “black block” brandishing banners such as “Europe will be white or deserted” and “Pure blood, sober mind”, while others shouted racist slogans.
Members of far-right movements from countries including the UK, Hungary, Slovakia and Italy also took part and are expected to do so again.
Related coverage: <a href="http://thegoldwater.com/news/41578-Poland-Warsaw-Mayor-Bans-60-000-Strong-Pure-Poland-White-Poland-March-Video"> Poland - Warsaw Mayor Bans 60,000 Strong ‘Pure Poland, White Poland’ March (Video)</a>.
The judge and mayor in Warsaw were however left with little choice after a large part of the local police force also had started calling in sick to protest and they realized there would be no one left to guarantee security.
Police chief Jarosław Szymczyk said in a letter to officers: "I will do my best to improve your situation. I ask you to understand the situation. We should not let bandits rule the streets.”
According to private radio broadcaster RMF FM, Mr Szymczyk on Tuesday offered a PLN 1,000 bonus for policemen who would secure the Independence March in Warsaw.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Will nationalists join the official independence march under the auspices of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Poland</a>'s President <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrzejDuda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AndrzejDuda</a> or will they press ahead with their own one? <a href="https://t.co/Ydz0Y2UFUX">https://t.co/Ydz0Y2UFUX</a></p>— Poland In English (@pol_IN_eng) <a href="https://twitter.com/pol_IN_eng/status/1060632523389239299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, together with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claimed that they would also arrange a state march, starting one hour later than the nationalists.
Mr Morawiecki said on Thursday that the government would not tolerate any extremist imagery or slogans this time round.
Source:
https://www.ft.com/content/ff82acc8-e399-11e8-a6e5-792428919cee
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