The first Equality March in Gniezno passed on April 13, 2019 under the slogan „First Capital of Equality” referring to the historical heritage of the Gniezno Land. The heads of those participating were adorned with rainbow crowns modeled after the symbol of power of Boleslaw the Brave, who in 1000 held the famous Gniezno congress, during which the Polish ruler met with German Emperor Otto III, which solidified the importance of the Polish state.

Even before the First Equality March set off, the organizers had to undergo a court battle in two instances, thanks to which the court decided to overturn the ban issued by the city’s mayor Tomasz Budasz. The organizers were supported by a number of organizations, including the Campaign Against Homophobia, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Love Does Not Exclude Association, and the Diversity Workshop Association, which provided legal assistance or sent friend-of-the-court opinions. The decision to ban the Equality March was also sought by Ombudsman Adam Bodnar.

The 1st Equality March began in Gniezno’s market square and, circling through the city, returned to the square several times stopping for speeches. Unfortunately, people mobilized by a local Law and Justice councilman, nationalists and pseudo-football circles committed violence against police forces, there was the use of smoothbore weapons and tear gas, vandals threw objects, including bags of motor oil thus destroying the sculpture of Boleslaw Chrobry set up in front of the Gniezno town hall. Luckily, the clash between the pseudo-fighters and the police took place far from the route of the march, and those participating faced only isolated and much less serious incidents….

In subsequent years, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the marches did not take place, and the initiative group organized a number of open discussions and film screenings during this time.