Veterans of the movement, government members, and political leaders gathered at Gate 2 of the shipyard, which was symbolically reopened for the occasion, for the central ceremony.
The Europejskie Centrum Solidarności (European Solidarity Centre) is hosting exhibitions, outdoor games, and the premiere of the children’s play Bibuła w tapczanie, based on a book by Michał Rusinek.
President Karol Nawrocki, speaking at the historic BHP hall, said, "Poland thanks the hundreds of thousands and millions who stood on the right side during the August 1980 revolution… I can live in a free Poland thanks to you, the heroes of Solidarity."
Prime Minister Donald Tusk also addressed the celebrations in a recorded message, saying, "We once again showed the world what Solidarity means, when the same evil empire that then suppressed our freedom attacked Ukraine. There is no freedom without Solidarity."
Later Sunday, participants, including former President Andrzej Duda, are expected to lay flowers at Gate 2 and attend a mass at St. Bridget’s Basilica in Gdańsk at 16:00 local time.
The original 1980 agreement, signed by Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa and Deputy Prime Minister Mieczysław Jagielski, led to the creation of the first independent trade union in a communist country, granting the right to strike and establishing a framework for workers’ rights.
(ał)
Source: IAR, PAP