Observances marking 40th anniversary of worker protest in Radom

Observances marking the 40th anniversary of mass worker protests against food price rises started in Poland's central city of Radom where in 1976 demonstrations turned into clashes with riot police.

PAP/Wojciech Pacewicz / Radom, 25.06.2016. Prezydent Andrzej Duda (C) przemawia podczas uroczystych obchodów Wydarzeń Radomskich 1976 roku, 25 bm. w Radomiu. (mr) PAP/Wojciech Pacewicz

On June 25, 1976, protests were staged in many factories all over Poland against food price hikes introduced by the communist authorities. Demonstrations in the central cities of Radom and Plock and in Warsaw's Ursus neighbourhood turned into clashes with riot police. In all, some 2,500 people were detained. Later some of them were handed harsh verdicts from several months to five years in prison. Many others lost their jobs.

The observances marking the 1976 June protests on Saturday are attended by President Andrzej Duda, PM Beata Szydlo and Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz, among others.

The protests contributed to intensified opposition activity against the communist government and eventually led to the emergence of the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR), communist Poland's first overt opposition organisation. (PAP)

at/