Fact Check: Polish patriots in 2024 declare Poland a Christian nation? No, video is old

A Facebook user shared a video with the caption, “300,000 polish Patriots on the streets to declare Poland is a CHRISTIAN country. #videoviral #everyone #USAToday #viralpost2024” The video shows a massive crowd waving red flares, filling the streets with smoke and singing in unison.

A similar claim can be seen here. (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading. The video shows a far-right march in Warsaw 2017.

A reverse image search traced the viral footage to a post on X from November 12, 2017.

The post was captioned “March of independence in Warszaw today. #march #independence #warsaw #warszawa #ultras. (sic)”

We performed a keyword search, which led us to the same video published on YouTube titled ‘Polish National Anthem at the Independence March 2017.11.11.’

The description of the video confirmed that it was part of the Independence Day celebrations in Warsaw in 2017.

Further, we found a report published by The New York Times on November 11, 2017, titled ‘Nationalist March Dominates Poland’s Independence Day’.

In the report, we found a photograph of the event resembling the viral video. The caption of the photograph reads Polish nationalists carried flares during the Saturday’s march in Warsaw. According to the report, thousands of far-right nationalists gathered in Poland’s capital, Warsaw, on a Saturday, carrying red-and-white Polish flags and flares. The march, held on Poland’s Independence Day, marked the celebration of the nation’s regained sovereignty following the end of World War I.

We also found a report published by The Guardian with the title ‘White Europe’: 60,000 nationalists march on Poland’s independence day’ dated November 12, 2017.

According to the report, tens of thousands of nationalist supporters gathered in Warsaw over the weekend to commemorate Poland’s Independence Day. The crowd, estimated at around 60,000 people by police, was seen waving banners with controversial slogans like “White Europe of brotherly nations” and setting off red smoke bombs. Many of the participants, their faces concealed, chanted phrases such as “Pure Poland, white Poland!” and “Refugees out!”

The march, organised by far-right organisations, has become an annual tradition marking Poland’s regaining of independence in 1918. Experts view this year’s demonstration as one of the largest far-right gatherings in Europe in recent times.

The report also added that the march was part of a series of events commemorating Poland’s independence in 1918, a significant moment in the nation’s history when it regained sovereignty after more than a century of partition and foreign rule. From the late 18th century until the end of World War I, Poland had been divided and controlled by Russia, Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The event highlighted the ongoing national pride tied to Poland’s hard-won independence.

Another report by France 24 said that the event was one of many marking Poland’s rebirth as a nation in 1918.

Participants marched under the slogan ‘We Want God,’ a line from an old Polish hymn.

We also found similar reports published by Dw and Aljazeera.

Therefore, the claim that the video shows Polish patriots in 2024 declaring Poland a Christian country is misleading. The footage is from an Independence Day march in Warsaw in 2017, and it was part of a far-right nationalist event commemorating Poland’s sovereignty restoration.