60,000 people in Poland held one of the largest far-right marches in Europe ever

On the 99th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence at the end ofWorld War I last Saturday, 60,000 people participated in what was likely the largest far-right protest in Europe yet, with some participants touting white nationalist banners and slogans and equating Islam with terrorism.Organized by a variety of far-right groups in Poland, the march was met by several thousand anti-fascist demonstrators, who claim their counterprotest is the largest of its kind since 2011.Ever since 2015 when the right-wing Law and Justice Party gained controlof several branches of government in elections that year, far-right Independence Day demonstrations like the one last weekend have steadily grown in size, and have by many accounts been tacitly endorsed by the ruling government.Here's a rundown of the events surrounding the largest right-wing gathering in Europe since World War II:SEE ALSO:Trump just got a hero's welcome in a country that may have underestimated his defining traitRight-wing groups have demonstrated on Poland's annual November 11 Independence Day celebration since 2010, but while the marches were initially only limited to several hundred people, they have quickly grown in popularity.Source: The Washington PostAlthough in previous years the marches have been met with stiff resistance from police, they have been largely peaceful since 2015 when the Law and Justice Party took power.Although the marches are unconnected to official celebrations of Poland's independence, recent demonstrations have overshadowed all other festivities.Source: PoliticoNumerous banners at the demonstrations in Warsaw featured anti-Islamic, anti-gay rights, and anti-EU slogans. Others proclaimed support for "clean blood" and a "white Europe," according to Politico.The march was organized by the All Poland Youth, National Movement and National Radical Camp, which invited several hundred foreign participants to join the demonstration.Source:PoliticoAdrian Barto', a spokesperson for the All Poland Youth, told Business Insider that around 500 foreigners were also present at the march, including some from Spain, Germany, and Hungary. He said Poland has become a magnet for right-wing nationalists throughout Europe."They are overjoyed by it, and they don't see the kind of mobilization we see in Poland in other European countries," Barto' said. "I think this is happening in Poland because there is strong national identity among the inhabitants, the citizens, of our country, and basically the majority see what is happening in the West."Barto' cited an alleged rise in rapes and crimes in countries where Middle Eastern refugees have been resettled, like Germany and Sweden."It is apparent that Poles don't want this," he said, "and this is why this understanding in our country and its citizens has caused us to see ourselves as sort of a bastion for the defense of Europe, as I would call it."However, although there have been several high profile cases of refugees committing such crimes in western European countries, overall, the rate of rape and crime has remained largely the same in Sweden, and even saw a slight dip in Germany.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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