Mackiewicz: The May Day Parade was an exceptional Polish celebration in Vilnius

In view of Michał Mackiewicz, the manager of the Association of Poles in Lithuania and the organizer of the Saturday May Day Parade in Lithuania, it was attended by approximately 10 thousand participants. The colourful Polish parade set off from the edifice of the Lithuanian Parliament at 11.00 a.m. and marched along the major streets of Vilnius: Gediminas Avenue, Vilnius Street, German Street (Deutschegasse), through the Town Hall Square and Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn Street. The parade lasted about an hour and was crowned with the service, which was held in front of the Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn Chapel. In this way, the Poles commemorated the Day of the Polish Flag, the May 3^rd Constitution Day and – most importantly – the Day of the Polish immigrant communities and the Poles abroad.

The parade gathered the Poles not only from the Vilnius Region, but also those from Turmantas, Kėdainiai, Kaunas and Vandžiogala, altogether 11 branches of the Association of Poles in Lithuania. It was also attended by the vast majority of the groups of the Vilnius Region, the youth and the teachers from the Polish schools, the scouts and the employees of the local councils. Numerous families with small children and groups of friends were also present, let alone the guests from Poland (seeing that the Poles celebrate their “long weekend” at the beginning of May) and even from the United States, including, among others, Andrzej Kamiński, the vice-manager of the branch of the Congress of the Polish Immigrant Community in the United States in New York.

The parade was organised after a 3-year break. Michał Mackiewicz assured that the APL will be trying to hold the parade every single year. “Today we have managed to organise a splendid celebration, which has to occur in Vilnius on a regular basis. These are expectations of the inhabitants of the Vilnius Region” – declared M. Mackiewicz.

We encourage you to watch the entire comment of Michał Mackiewicz, recorded soon after the Polish Parade in Vilnius and the service in the Gate of Dawn had finished.

We also invite you to watch a lengthy video coverage of the parade, which is currently in the making.

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/tresc/m-mackiewicz-pochod-byl-pieknym-polskim-swietem-w-wilnie

Tłumaczenie by Joanna Mirek w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Joanna Mirek within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.