On December 13, 1981, communist-era strongman General Wojciech Jaruzelski imposed martial law to stifle rising opposition, headed by the Solidarity movement.
It was on that day that Poles woke up to disconnected telephones, army vehicles on the streets and an announcement by Gen. Jaruzelski, broadcast on national television, in which he spoke of Poland on the edge of a precipice.
More than 6,500 opposition activists, including former Polish President Lech Wałęsa, had already been arrested and taken to detention centres all over the country by the time the announcement was aired.
It was the start of a dark chapter in modern Polish history that saw thousands of opposition activists jailed and dozens killed.
According to a parliamentary report compiled at the start of the 1990s, more than 90 people were killed during martial law, which lasted formally until July 22, 1983.
During martial law Poland’s communist regime suspended political and workers’ organisations and introduced a curfew.
Historian Tadeusz Ruzikowski from the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) told Polish Radio that the 1981 martial law was "a brutal crackdown" on trade unions, which were considered a grave threat by the communist regime.
To mark the anniversary and honour the victims, IPN has called on Poles to place a candle in their window as part of its annual campaign "Victims of Martial Law. Light the Candle of Freedom."
Source: IAR