A masked 24-year-old drove onto Kraków’s main square on Saturday and opened fire, killing six and wounding 15, including two police officers. He was arrested after an exchange of fire with police.
Prosecutors opened a terrorism investigation on Sunday, saying evidence showed he also killed three people in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, identified as his parents and sister. The government declared November 8 and 9 days of national mourning.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said on Saturday the attacker acted alone and was fascinated by far-right ideologies.
Rumours had circulated that authorities might call off the annual march, which draws large crowds to Warsaw on Independence Day.
“Nobody intends to ban the Independence March; speculation on this is mere disinformation”, Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X. He urged participants to refrain from aggression and asked counter-demonstrators to stay away so police could keep order. “In this sad moment, I count on your responsibility and deep reflection”, he said.
Kierwiński told TVN24 that security services had prepared various scenarios, though procedures would likely be reviewed in light of the attack. “I don’t know where such rumours come from”, he said, adding: “I have the impression that many people are trying to build their own activity on social media”.
Police were ready for counter-demonstrations, which would be kept apart from the march to avoid clashes, he said. He urged the public to report anything suspicious and to heed official announcements.
The march organisers, the Independence March Association, said the event would go ahead as planned. Its head, Bartosz Malewski, said cancelling public events under the influence of terror “would be a dangerous signal that violence makes it possible to paralyse social life and impose a way of behaving on others”.
The association also condemned what it called the political exploitation of the tragedy. “This also applies to statements by representatives of the authorities who, from the first hours, have attributed political inspirations to the perpetrator without presenting evidence to the public”, it said in a statement.
President Karol Nawrocki said on Friday he would attend the march “as every year”.
(jh)
Source: PAP