Lithuanian Polish march sparks conflict over political exclusion

A dispute during Lithuania’s annual Polish community march has escalated into a police complaint after two politicians were allegedly removed for their political views, LRT.lt reports.

Danielius Ilkevičius, a member of the Vilnius District Council, and Vilnius Vice-Mayor Vytautas Mitalas—both from the Freedom Party—claim they were forcibly expelled from the May 2 march by security personnel acting on organizers’ orders. Ilkevičius has since filed an official complaint with police, alleging violations of his rights and freedoms during the public event.

The incident has reignited long-standing tensions within Lithuania’s Polish community over whether the march, a symbolic display of ethnic identity, has become a platform for political dominance by a single faction—the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance (LLRA-KŠS) and its affiliates.

Politicians removed for “views, not behavior”

Ilkevičius told LRT.lt that security personnel, identifying themselves as event organizers, demanded he and Mitalas leave, physically blocking their movement and using phrases like “get out of here” and “you can’t participate here.” He described being grabbed, pushed, and obstructed by bodies. The politicians carried banners reading “A Pole, but not a Tomaszewski supporter” and “Vilnius loves all its residents” in Lithuanian and Polish.

“I marched with pride in my Polish heritage and the people around me,” Ilkevičius said. “It was strange to realize I was being removed not for misconduct, but for my views.”

The march, organized by the Union of Poles in Lithuania (ZPL) and led by its chairman Waldemar Tomaszewski—who also heads LLRA-KŠS—has faced recurring criticism for blending ethnic celebration with political messaging. This year’s event, coinciding with Poland’s Day of Poles Abroad, drew particular attention due to the participation of Grzegorz Braun, a controversial far-right Polish politician known for antisemitic and radical statements.

Organizers deny restrictions

Tomaszewski dismissed the allegations, calling the march a success with broad support and denying any restrictions on Ilkevičius or Mitalas. However, political scientists like Marius Antonowicz of Vilnius University’s Institute of International Relations and Political Science argue the incident highlights the march’s deepening politicization, where LLRA-KŠS symbolism increasingly overshadows its role as a unifying cultural event.

The conflict follows years of debate over whether the march represents all Lithuanian Poles or serves as a stage for a specific political agenda.