National Self-Defence Front
National Self-Defence Front (Polish: Front Narodowej Samoobrony, FNS), also known as the Polish National Front (Polish: Polski Front Narodowy, PFN) was a Polish extreme nationalist political party active between 1994 and 1995. The party leader was Janusz Bryczkowski. It was related to the skinhead subculture and recruited members of the subculture to its fascist military group. It was founded by Bryczkowski after he was expelled from Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland (Polish: Samoobrona Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej, SRP) after his unsuccessful attempt to oust the party's leader, Andrzej Lepper, from power.
National Self-Defence Front Front Narodowej Samoobrony | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | FNS |
| Leader | Janusz Bryczkowski |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Dissolved | 1995 |
| Split from | SRP |
| Membership (1994) | 300 |
| Ideology | Neofascism Russophilia Pan-Slavism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Colours | Black |
| Sejm | 0 / 460
|
| Senate | 0 / 100
|
| European Parliament | 0 / 51
|
| Regional assemblies | 0 / 552
|
| City presidents | 0 / 117
|
The FNS openly called for fascism and attracted media attention by its incendiary statements. The organisation became particularly notorious in September 1995, when its members and sympathisers, forming a militia called the Polish Legion, took part in a 'cleansing' action in Legionowo, directed mainly against the homeless. It resulted in two dead and around 30 wounded. The perpetrators were sentenced to 25 and 15 years' imprisonment, and the police effectively dissolved the party by cracking down on its activitie and arresting its members. It was promptly dissolved afterwards.