“Martial law was not a lesser evil; it was evil in its purest form. A betrayal of the nation by the communist junta, and Wojciech Jaruzelski asking the Soviets to enter our country and extinguish the light of freedom that was shining thanks to Solidarity. The Soviets said, “Handle it with your own hands.” And he did – by imposing martial law,” said President Karol Nawrocki during a ceremony commemorating the victims of martial law.
President Karol Nawrocki lit the symbolic “Light of Freedom” on the 44th anniversary of the imposition of martial law.
“The light of freedom burns in Warsaw, it burns in Polish homes and in your hands. Nothing will extinguish the Polish light and the longing for freedom. Our freedom was not taken from us by the partitions; it was not extinguished by two occupations, nor by colonizers and traitors. It was not extinguished by martial law or by Wojciech Jaruzelski’s junta. Because that light continued to burn, nourished – unfortunately – also with blood. Polish blood nourished the light of freedom so that we could live in a free, independent Republic of Poland,”
the president said.
He added that in this very place, in June 1979, the great Polish Pope John Paul II invoked the Holy Spirit and addressed the Polish nation with the words: “Let Your Spirit descend and renew the face of the earth, this earth”, our Polish land.
“The Holy Spirit descended, and the great Solidarity movement arose, the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc. A great social movement emerged, one of which we are all deeply proud, which brought together nearly 10 million people. On one side stood those who were clear anti-communists, and on the other, those who, thanks to Solidarity, received a great, life-changing, historic opportunity to stand on the side of decency – to say, through Solidarity and the August Agreements: we will no longer watch the communist dictate, the propaganda, the destruction of the Polish state’s economy. We want dignity, freedom, solidarity, and justice. Nearly 10 million people, united in the beautiful Solidarity movement of which we are proud, and which was not directed against anyone. It was addressed to everyone,”
emphasized Karol Nawrocki.
“Martial law was not a lesser evil; it was evil in its purest form. A betrayal of the nation by the communist junta, and Wojciech Jaruzelski asking the Soviets to enter our nation and extinguish the light of freedom that shone thanks to Solidarity. The Soviets said, ‘handle it with your own hands.’ And he handled it by imposing martial law,”
the president continued.
He added: “A million of my compatriots, under the pressure of martial law, left Poland. It was social, economic, and financial destruction. The light that burns today burns in the name of the Victims. Poland will never forget the Victims nor the perpetrators.”
“It came and returned on December 13, quite recently. Post-communists, with marginal social support, are now receiving the most important positions in the Polish state thanks to political and party arrangements. After December 13, former SB officers and those who extinguished the light of freedom are having their pension privileges restored. The heroes of our freedom often live worse than those who sought to enslave us. The President of the Republic of Poland will never accept the absence of historical justice! Long live Poland! Down with communism!”
added Karol Nawrocki.