Tusk Says Poland's Independence March Will Go Ahead After Deadly Attack

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says the Independence March will happen as planned on November 11, brushing aside speculation that the deadly shooting in Krakow would force it off the streets. In a post on X, he called the chatter 'nothing but disinformation.' The march, a nationalist rally that draws big crowds to Warsaw each year, stays on the calendar.

Tusk didn't just green-light it — he set ground rules. He urged participants to avoid aggression and to respect the police officers guarding the route, and he asked counter-demonstrators to stay home so they don't complicate security. 'At this sad moment, I count on your sense of responsibility and deep reflection,' he wrote. It's a plea for calm from a leader dealing with a shaken country.

The shooting that triggered it all happened Saturday in Krakow's main square. Poland's National Prosecutor's Office said Sunday the attack will be investigated as a 'terrorist act,' covering the killing of six people in Krakow and the shooting deaths of three more in the town of Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski — crimes prosecutors say were committed by the same person. Sixteen people were injured, including two police officers.

Tusk named those officers as Senior Constable Jakub Kulik and Senior Constable Artur Moranski, calling them 'true heroes.' He said they 'likely saved many lives, without regard for the risk of losing their own,' and noted their condition is serious but they're getting strong care. The European Council said its flags are flying at half-mast in solidarity, with its thoughts on the victims, the injured, first responders and the people of Poland.

Condolences have poured in from abroad as well, with British officials mourning the victims, including a British national. Now the focus shifts to November 11, when Warsaw will host a march that suddenly carries heavier weight — and a security operation with far less room for error.