Two marches in Warsaw marked Poland's Independence Day

Thousands of protesters, including families with children as well as representatives of right-wing groups, joined the far-right Independence March waving white and red Polish flags and chanting "God, Honour, Homeland" as they walked through central Warsaw amid a heavy police presence. Some participants carried white supremacist or anti-gay banners and fired off red flares

"Poland will be independent only if everybody's rights to life are equal and abortion is fully banned," said one marcher, Małgorzata Kurzeja, 42, an anti-abortion activist.

Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, an arch conservative, said the march was an opportunity to show "unity and strength" at a time when Poland's sovereignty was no given, alluding to his critical view of the European Union.

Since it came to power in 2015, the government has sought to instil more conservative, traditional family values in public life, including the introduction of a near-total ban an abortion. Critics at home and abroad have accused the government of fomenting homophobia during election campaigns.

Last year, the march focused on anti-immigrant rhetoric amid a migrant crisis when thousands of people, mostly from the Middle East and Africa, sought to cross into Poland from Belarus, but were pushed back by the Polish border guard.

Organisers have toned down their anti-immigrant agenda in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine, which has driven millions of Ukrainians to seek refuge throughout Europe, although a handful of protesters brought anti-Ukrainian banners.

The annual event has become a point of friction between far-right groups and supporters of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on one side, and liberal Poles on the other.

The Warsaw city hall has made numerous attempts in the past to delegalise the event, but the Independence March association, the organizer, has successfully challenged court decisions.

A smaller group of a few hundred people gathered in a counter-march organised by a far-left Anti-Fascist Coalition, waving LGBTQ flags and holding placards reading: "United against racism. All refugees welcome".

"Independence can mean a lot of different things. For me, it is my freedom, not only the national freedom, but my personal freedom as well," 30-year-old far-left demonstrator Pepe said adding his own country can limit his independence.

"Independence is exactly this. That I can say it loud that I am having a lot of fun with people who are of different sexual orientations, come from different countries, or just think in a different way than any other person," 49-year-old Dorota said as she danced with her son to the music played from loudspeakers.