Kaczyński calls police 'ruling party militia', vows citizen guard and life sentences after Smolensk memorial clashes

The confrontation at Piłsudski Square

On the morning of 10 July 2026, Jarosław Kaczyński and other Law and Justice (PiS) politicians arrived at Piłsudski Square in Warsaw for the monthly Smolensk memorial. They intended to lay flowers at the monument to the late president Lech Kaczyński and other victims of the 2010 air disaster. When they arrived, activists from the Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD) had already taken positions directly in front of the monument, separated from the PiS group by police barriers.

Kaczyński demanded that officers allow him to approach the monument. According to FAKT24.pl, he compared the police's actions to the behaviour of Gestapo collaborators, saying, "They have no right to refuse me laying a wreath." The head of the Presidential Chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, also joined the discussion with officers. Police explained they were bound by existing regulations and were not prohibiting the laying of the wreath, only managing two competing assemblies. The wreath was eventually placed beside the officers, not directly at the monument.

Kaczyński's accusations and threats

Speaking to media after being blocked from the monument, Kaczyński described the situation as "one great, gigantic disgrace of this government." He claimed counter-protesters were "shielded" by police while he and his colleagues were "insulted, attacked, including death threats." He dismissed the threats as not serious but insisted police had a duty to intervene and failed to do so.

We are dealing with militias of the ruling party, not the police, and conclusions will have to be drawn from this.

Kaczyński said that upon returning to power, "everything will have to be rebuilt from scratch" and announced the creation of "some kind of citizen guard that will be very determined." He added that those police officers who remain would then know they must perform their duties, while those who acted as they did at the square would "answer for what they did."

The citizen guard and legal overhaul

In remarks carried by multiple outlets, Kaczyński outlined a two-part plan for a future PiS government. First, the establishment of a citizen guard to replace what he called the politicised police force. Second, a significant toughening of the criminal code.

We will also tighten the penal code so that there will be life imprisonment for this, because at the moment there is not.

He argued that those who drafted the current penal code "clearly had no regard for Polish security" and promised a "policy of restoring normality." Kaczyński also suggested that counter-protesters should be investigated to determine whether they were acting on behalf of Russia or another neighbouring state, calling such potential collaboration a "serious crime."

Physical altercations in the crowd

While Kaczyński and Bogucki were speaking with officers, a scuffle broke out at the rear of the gathering. One man standing behind the barriers struck an older participant with a handheld camera stick, then attempted to leave the scene. A police officer on site detained the man. The incident further heightened tensions during the commemoration. Despite the disruption, PiS politicians completed the ceremony and laid the prepared wreath.

Police response

Warsaw Metropolitan Police (KSP) issued a statement on X responding to the accusations. The force said all actions taken by officers were carried out "solely on the basis and within the limits of the applicable law." The statement emphasised that the overriding goal was ensuring the safety of all participants in the assemblies and bystanders, and that officers acted to prevent escalation of tensions and threats to people and property.

The police remain an apolitical formation. The role of the police is to ensure safety and protect public order, not to participate in disputes of a political or ideological nature.

KSP added that the entire security operation was recorded via officers' body cameras and monitoring systems operating in the Piłsudski Square area. The force appealed to all assembly participants to obey the law and follow officers' instructions, stressing that assessment of police actions should be based on facts, not political emotions.