Bogusław Wojtas, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Jelenia Góra region of NSZZ “Solidarity,” discusses in an interview with the portal wPolityce.pl the trajectory of the Solidarity trade unionists during Donald Tusk’s gathering in Jelenia Góra.
Wojtas references Tusk’s remark that real solidarity becomes evident when there is protest against the government’s faults.
While comparing the current PiS government with the prior PO-PSL administration, Wojtas would rate PiS at 10 and PO-PSL at 0 on a ten-point scale. He explains that, for Solidarity, the aim is not to oppose any authority by default but to protest out of concern for potential consequences. He points to the risk that power could be withdrawn from the Turów mine and, with it, the Turów complex and its associated power plant. This concern, he notes, motivated Solidarity to participate in Tusk’s event.
– explains the deputy chairman of the regional council of Jelenia Góra of NSZZ “Solidarity.”
Rafał Trzaskowski, a leading PO politician, stated that a Court of Justice of the European Union ruling calls for the mines to be closed. For Wojtas and his colleagues, this was an early signal that the mine could be shut down if their opponents gained power. The visit to Jelenia Góra was not about endorsing or opposing any party; it was about protecting livelihoods. Solidarity believes that tens of thousands of jobs, not only those tied directly to the Turów mine and power plant but also to related companies, must be safeguarded.
he adds.
Wojtas emphasizes that the workers associated with the Turów mine do not align with any political party.
They are sometimes branded as a PiS militia or a PiS faction by opponents of PiS who use different labels. Wojtas counters that the group acts independently and is not representing anyone’s party line.
– says.
“Today they accuse us of not respecting the anthem of ‘Solidarity’. It’s not true”
The deputy chairman describes a moment that stirred strong emotions: during a protest, banners and sirens were part of the scene as participants at Donald Tusk’s rally sang Poland’s national anthem. He argues that a national anthem holds a special place in a nation and should be reserved for solemn occasions such as state or church events, not political gatherings. He notes that many groups want to express patriotism and may sing the anthem, but in a loud rally, a group can also sing it quietly if given the chance. He recalls turning his own group quiet upon realizing on large screens that protestors and rally attendees were marking the national anthem, and that later his group joined in from the second verse. He says TVN did not cover this moment. He asserts that accusations of disrespect are unfounded and that there was even an attempt to include the third verse, though that may not have been remembered by others.
– emphasizes.
Wojtas reports that supporters of Donald Tusk behaved with aggression toward protesters at the gathering.
Speaking from his own experience near the age of sixty, he describes attending many demonstrations, marches, and protests in his life but notes unprecedented levels of hostility at the rally. He recalls being spat upon and subjected to insults, with some people directing obscenities and hostile gestures toward the group. He adds that their security team remained calm and professional, helping to keep the group under control. He observes that the provocation came largely from older individuals.
– shares his personal protest experience.
At the conclusion of the action, Wojtas approached an elderly woman who often displayed the middle finger and directed curses toward them. He asked her a direct question about whether life had improved under PO and what pension indices she had received or expected to receive in terms of a supposed extended pension. She remained silent. He noted the woman had previously supported the values they defend, including jobs, and maybe even belonged to Solidarity, before finding herself in the current situation. He remarks on the troubling manipulation of such individuals by political narratives.
he clarifies.
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