Warsaw’s mayor bans nationalist march to mark Polish independence centenary

Warsaw’s mayor has banned a nationalist march planned for Sunday to mark the centenary of Polish independence, citing the risk of violence and expressions of hatred. The march was being organized partly by far-right nationalist groups, one of which said it would defy the ban, Reuters said. A rally is held annually in the capital on November 11 to commemorate the anniversary of Poland’s independence at the end of World War I. Last year’s event was marked by racist chanting and confrontations with counter-protestors. “Warsaw has already suffered enough due to aggressive nationalism,” Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz said. “Poland’s 100th anniversary of independence shouldn’t look like this.”