Updated

Hundreds of Poles have marched in silence in Warsaw to honor a man who set himself on fire to protest policies by the ruling party that he said are destroying rule of law and democracy in the country.

Piotr Szczesny, a 54-year-old chemist, self-immolated on Oct. 19 and died more than a week later. He left a letter explaining he was protesting a government that he accused of limiting civil liberties, violating the constitution and making Poland an object of ridicule internationally.

He wrote in his letter that ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and other party leaders would have "blood on their hands" for his death.

Marchers gathered Monday at the spot beneath the landmark Palace of Culture skyscraper where Szczesny burned himself, and walked to the party headquarters together.