The last generation is blocking Warsaw. Protest after the cancelled gathering with Trzaskowski

On 17 June 2025 climate activists from the Last Generation conducted a series of short blockages in Warsaw. The protest was a reaction to the cancelled gathering with the city's president Rafał Trzaskowski and was intended to refocus attention on the problem of transport exclusion in Poland.

Protest After Broken Conversations

According to the latest generation movement, The gathering with Rafał Trzaskowski was cancelled on June 16.. The talks were to address requests to improve access to public transport for residents of smaller towns. The protest organizers expressed disappointment with the decision of the president of Warsaw, accusing him of avoiding dialog with citizens and local governments.

"Trzaskowski escaped from the problems of people from tiny towns, ran distant from the talk about transport exclusion" – said activists in the authoritative release. They added that the president of the capital “he escaped from the questions of locals and local governments”, which confirms their deficiency of real willingness to address the systemic problem of accessibility.

Blocks as a form of warning

On Tuesday, June 17, in Warsaw took place eight informing protest actionswhich disrupted traffic in various parts of the city, including on Constitution Square and Basketball Street. Each lock continued symbolically two minutesbut they were clearly manifest.

"Today's informing action will take 2 minutes. We are ready to talk – we are ready for hours of blockade. Government – you choose” “The organizers wrote on social media.

In communications to public and ruling the Last Generation does not hide frustration. It was recalled that in May, activists clearly announced a return to the streets if the demands were not met and a dialog with the authorities was not undertaken.

Protesters' demands

The Last Generation movement is not limited to performing activities – it presents specific requestswhich it expects from the authorities. The most crucial of these are:

• Complete redirection of funds from the construction of fresh expressways and motorways to the improvement of local and regional rail and bus connections – starting in 2025.
• Introduction of a common monthly ticket for PLN 50, which would be honoured throughout the country, in all regional modes of transport.
• Creating a single ticketing systemwhich would let easy and efficient usage of public transport, regardless of the operator or voivodship.

“We fight in the interests of the inhabitants of the towns and villages of powiat Poland” – emphasize activists. In their view, the current state transport policy strengthens the social exclusion of residents of smaller towns where there is no effective public transport.

Political and social context

Climate and social protests are becoming increasingly visible in Poland. The actions of the Last Generation are an example civil disobediencewhich, as the activists themselves remind, is their constitutional right. The movement is increasingly part of public debate, forcing politicians to take a stand on increasing social problems specified as communication exclusion and climate change.

The cancellation of the gathering by president Trzaskowski puts the local government in a hard situation. On the 1 hand, local authorities stress their limited capacity to finance transport infrastructure, on the another hand, ignoring public voice can lead to an escalation of tension. The last generation clearly signals that if the dialog is not undertaken, are ready for further – this time longer – blocks in the center of the capital.

What's next?

Both the form of protest and its demands are becoming more specific. Protesters request not only statements of support from the president of Warsaw, but besides actions to organise a gathering with the Polish Prime Minister. In the assessment of traffic, only the government can decide on specified a extremist redirection of funds from road infrastructure to railways and collective communication.

Lack of reaction from central authorities may mean further waves of protests, not only in Warsaw but in another parts of the country. Activists announce that they will not abandon their demands, and short informing actions of June 17 can only be an introduction to more intense forms of social pressure.