Yorba Linda : Polish-Americans Rally in Support of Solidarity
Polish-Americans in Southern California will gather Sunday in a show of support for Solidarity, the union that is celebrating its fifth anniversary in their native country.
Michael Dutkowski, secretary of the union’s Los Angeles chapter, said the group hopes to draw “a few hundred” people for the 11 a.m. event at the John Paul II Polish Center at 3999 Rose Drive. A telegram will be sent to Solidarity leader Lech Walesa expressing support for the union, condemning the communist government which has at times outlawed the union and arrested its leaders and urging a boycott of elections planned for October.
A Mass will also be said, featuring a tape recording of a 1984 speech by Father Jerzy Popieluszko, who was murdered by Polish Army officers. “It’s mainly a history of the Polish people and the Polish struggle for democracy over the past two centuries,” Dutkowski said. He added that the event will also mark the 65th anniversary of the “Miracle Near Warsaw,” when the Poles turned back Russian invaders.
The Los Angeles-area chapter publishes a weekly newspaper and raises cash for the union. “I think Solidarity needs both moral and financial support,” Dutkowski said.
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