President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk took part in a silent march on the Main Market Square in Kraków on Monday, 9 November, commemorating the victims of Saturday’s attack.
The march began at 8:00 p.m. in front of the Kraków City Hall. It was organised by the city’s mayor, Łukasz Gibała. According to the city authorities, the President of the Republic of Poland, the prime minister, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś and the mayor of Kraków set off in a silent procession towards the Main Market Square. Earlier, Nawrocki and Tusk signed the condolence book displayed in the City Hall.
The Chancellery of the President published photos from the event on X:
Bugle Call and Candles at the Sites of Tragedy
The march was signalled by a bugle call played by a firefighter. Participants stopped at the places where victims died on Saturday: at the corner of the Main Market Square and Sławkowska Street, and near St. Mary’s Basilica. Candles were lit in both places. The mayor of Kraków had announced that one candle would be lit at each of the three sites for every person who died there.
Thousands of people with flowers and candles gathered in the Square, which began filling long before the start. The march was also attended by, among others, the Małopolska Voivode Krzysztof Klęczar and the Marshal of the Voivodeship Łukasz Smółka. The event was organised by the city in cooperation with the police.
The Prime Minister’s Words
After the march ended, Donald Tusk wrote: “Tonight in Kraków, thousands of Poles gathered to pay tribute to the victims of the 7 November attack. May they rest in peace”.
The 7 November Attack
On Saturday, 7 November, at around 3:00 p.m., a 24-year-old man drove a car onto the Main Market Square and opened fire on random passers-by. Six people were killed and over a dozen were injured, including police officers. The perpetrator was shot and detained. According to the city authorities, he died in hospital on Monday.
President Nawrocki declared two days of national mourning, and in Kraków mourning remains in force until 11 November. Until Wednesday, people can sign the condolence book in the lobby of the City Hall. We wrote about the announcement of both politicians’ joint attendance in our article about the announced silent march in Kraków.
