Warsaw court bans far-right march, nationalists plan appeal

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish court on Wednesday upheld the Warsaw mayor's ban on an annual march organized by nationalists on Poland's Independence Day, but organizers pledged to appeal the ruling and insisted the march would go ahead as planned.

The Nov. 11 march has attracted large numbers of participants in recent years, underlining the rising support for the far right in Poland and elsewhere. Nationalists from other countries also travel to Warsaw to take part, while organizers have received funding and other support from the right-wing Polish government.

Konstanty Radziwill, the governor of the region where Warsaw is located and a member of the ruling Law and Justice party, approved the march last week. But Warsaw's District Court on Wednesday ruled in favor of an appeal by Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of the capital, who sought to ban this year's march following violence a year ago.

Trzaskowski had said that Warsaw which was razed by Nazi German forces during World War II, is “no place to propagate slogans that have all the hallmarks of fascist slogans.”

Independence March organization head Robert Bakiewicz called the ruling “shameful” and said his organization would appeal and that “the march will take place."

The Nov. 11 national holiday marks Poland regaining its independence after World War I.

It's only in recent years that nationalist groups have turned out in large numbers to overshadow commemorations with marches that have turned violent and during which some participants have voiced white supremacist and anti-Semitic ideas.

At last year's march, police used tear gas and rubber bullets in clashes with far-right supporters. The march had taken place despite a ban on public gatherings due to the pandemic.

Poland’s right-wing government has...