Jacek Kuroń - The students' battle (73/150)

To listen to more of Jacek Kuroń’s stories, go to the playlist:    • Jacek Kuroń (Social activist)   Polish activist Jacek Kuroń (1934-2004) helped to transform the political landscape of Poland. He was expelled from the communist party, arrested and incarcerated. He was also instrumental in setting up Workers' Defence Committee (KOR) and became a Minister of Labour and Social Policy. [Listeners: Jacek Petrycki, Marcel Łoziński; date recorded: 1987] TRANSCRIPT: Across the whole country, in every college and university, demonstrations and strikes were breaking out and student committees were being formed. They only included students and left out the teaching assistants which I think was a great mistake, a great mistake. In Warsaw, the teaching assistants who were our friends were tucked away in a house somewhere on Krakowskie Przedmieście or Nowy Świat, and students from the strike committees would come to them covertly. Meanwhile, student committees were everywhere. Demands were put forward and a very peaceful and deliberate battle was waged with those water cannon, the police and their dogs, the so-called worker's activists, drunk and carrying sticks. No one raised their hand, no one tried to defend themselves, they sat down in the road using a method we'd call 'non-violent' today, and this battle was waged systematically and for a long time. It lasted a long time but unfortunately without the support of the rest of society, it had to collapse.