In the gallery – photos from staging fights between ZOMO ( paramilitary police, so called “milicja” ) and manifesting civilians in Warsaw.... Thats how demonstrations were being broken… Even though it is only staging, it looked exactly the same as 20 years ago. But then- there were also blood… and victims.

Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the government of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush the political opposition against the Communist rule in Poland. Thousands of opposition activists were interned without charge and as many as 100 people were killed.

Pro-democracy movements such as “Solidarity” and other, smaller organisations were banned and their leaders, including Lech Wałęsa, detained overnight. In the morning, thousands of soldiers in military vehicles patrolled streets of every major city. A curfew was imposed, the national borders were sealed, airports were closed, and road access to main cities was restricted. Telephone lines were disconnected, mail was subject to censorship, all independent organizations were delegalized, and classes in schools and at universities were suspended.

During the initial imposition of martial law, several dozen people were killed. Commanders during the crackdown claim about a dozen fatalities, while a Polish parliamentary commission in the years 1989-1991 arrived at a figure of over 90 deaths. In the deadliest incident, nine people were killed by ZOMO ( paramilitary police ) whilst breaking a strike action in Wujek Coal Mine on December 16, 1981. People were also killed and wounded during a massive wave of demonstrations which took place on August 31, 1982.

They were quite hard and difficult times for Poland, full of suffering. However without the decision of Gen. Jaruzelski and without the Martial Law - intervention of armies of the Soviet Union would threaten us. In spite of victims killed in demonstrations- it rescued Poland from annexation of the country through the USSR... Who knows- maybe today’s Poland wouldn't be a democratic country…