Pledge on Polish Students Broken, Walesa Charges
Solidarity leader Lech Walesa on Wednesday accused Poland’s Communist leaders of breaking a promise made in historic national accords by refusing to legalize the trade union’s student movement.
At the same time, angry university students in Warsaw, Lodz and Wroclaw staged sit-ins to protest Tuesday’s decision regarding the students’ independent union, known as NZS. Students at Warsaw University, however, voted to end the sit-in and said they will concentrate on the June 4 parliamentary elections. The rest of the striking students later followed suit.
They said the government refusal was a futile attempt to divide students from Solidarity just before the elections, and they promised to redouble campaign efforts for Solidarity’s slate for Parliament.
Just hours after the court’s decision, the government struck a further blow by banning a scheduled broadcast of Solidarity’s election show from state television.
Registration of the students’ union and opposition access to television were both agreed to by the government in the broad “round-table” agreements reached April 5 with the Solidarity-led opposition.
“The rejection of the registration of NZS breaks the round-table decisions,” Walesa said.
Walesa’s independent union and the NZS were recognized after their formation in 1980 but outlawed in 1982 under martial law.
“Solidarity will not abandon the matter of NZS registration,” Walesa added.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
