Thousands gather for Warsaw Independence March amid high tensions

Thousands of people took to the streets of Warsaw on November 11, 2026, to participate in Poland's annual Independence March. The event, which is one of the largest nationalist demonstrations in Europe, proceeded under heightened security measures following a fatal mass shooting in Krakow just days earlier.

The national atmosphere is currently charged with political friction between Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government and nationalist opposition factions. These tensions escalated after a 24-year-old gunman, Michal Oxinski, attacked a central square in Krakow on November 7, leaving six people dead and 15 wounded. Oxinski, who reportedly killed his parents and sister prior to the attack, died in a hospital on November 9. While Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski stated that the perpetrator held radical right-wing views, state prosecutors have noted that a definitive motive for the attack has not yet been officially determined.

Authorities continue to monitor the ongoing situation as the country remains in a state of unrest. Ahead of the march, Prime Minister Tusk issued a public appeal for calm and restraint across the political spectrum.