Mass disturbances in Warsaw on Poland Independence Day (photo+video)

A series of street protests happened on the Independence Day in Warsaw on November 11. One of them was arranged by nationalist organizations.

"The people who moved into the forefront of the demonstration, at some point, attacked police the police at a certain point - they threw stones, bottles, torches at the officers. The police had to use special equipment, including tear gas, "- said the Warsaw police.

Six police officers were injured as a result of clashes with the hooligans in masks. One of them had his leg injured with a paving slab and one was hit with a bottle in the head, according to the Polish Press Agency. The law enforcement officers used shotguns and pepper gas against the hooligans. Press Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Mariusz Sokolowski also told the reporters that they detained 132 people during the disturbances. All detainees will undergo investigation measures in order to find out who instigated the fight.

The police inform that they detained whole minibuses with passengers who had sticks, cops on the teeth, and masks. They were going to take part in the "March of Independence", informs the website tvn24.pl.

According to the site tvn24.pl, the March for Independence organizers say that the disturbances started after several masked men joined the crowd. They refused to introduce themselves. It is likely that they were the ones who started throwing stones at the police.

However, football fans who are the first suspects of having started the attack on police believe that the fight was provoked by the law enforcement officials themselves, writes Gazeta Wyborcza. Still, not just police officers suffered from the hooligans’ actions - the Polish television TVP operator was beaten and his camera was destroyed.

Two other large demonstrations, one of which was headed by the President of Poland, Bronislaw Komorowski, passed quietly.

Last year a similar demonstration organized by the nationalists ended in major riots - 70 people were injured, including 30 police officers, and 200 rioters were detained.

The Independence Day is celebrated in Poland on November 11 to commemorate the restoration of the independence of Rzeczpospolita in 1918 from Germany, Russia and Austria. Prior to 1918, the territory of Poland was divided between these states.

Photo: Agencja Gazeta, Euroradio.