THE VIOLENCE IN NOWA HUTA, DECEMBER 16-17, 1981

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00049R000400910010-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 19, 2006
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: December 18, 1981
• Content Type: CABLE

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UNCLASSIFIED
TASK FORCE 59434 RECEIVED AT 181601Z Dec 81
ACTION: NONE INFO FILE, RFy CI/FL' CR/E' EPS/Et3 2 D/FFIS-29
IAD/CAS-- y IAD/IC y IAD/SOG--4 r ICS/HTO y NIO/USSR y ODPH--H y ODPN--N y
ODPS--S, OER-?3y OGI./I/PIy OGI/R/AT y OTA/ERRS' OOE/EE/R OOE/EEPO-?3y
OPA/ I I y OSA/CS/CA y OSR/SEy OSR/SF y OSR/TF y PCS/ I NT y PLANFAC-E y POLEHE y
RF y SE-3p
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00 RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
STU4882
00 RUEHC
DE RUDKRW t0998 3521515
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
0 181350Z DEC 81
FM AMCONSUL. KRAKOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHTiC IMMEDIATE 2675
ZEN/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 1758
ZEN/AMCONSUL POZNAN
BT
C 0 N F I Ii E N T I A L KRAKOW WARSAW 0998
EO 12065: GDS 12/17/81 (BASTIANI' CARL A.) OR--M
TAGS: PINT PL
SUBJ: THE VIOLENCE IN NOWA HUTAY DECEMBER 16--17' :L981
(C -- ENTIRE TEXT).
THE FOLLC)WING REPORT WAS COMPILED DECEMBER 17 BY THE KRAKOW
CONSULATE AND COVERS THE VIOLENCE WHIC OCCURRED DECEMBER 16 AND
17 AT THE NOWA HUTA STEEL.. MI LL. y POLAND'S L.ARGEST STEEL. COMPLEX
WHICH IS LOCATED OUTSIDE KRAKOW AS WELL. AS AT NC)WA HUTA'S MAIN
SQUARE:
1150 HOURS
A POLISH UNIVERSITY STUDENT CAME INTO THE CONSULATE TO DESCRIBE
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE NOWA HUTA STEEL WORKS.HIS EYEWITNESS REPRT
CONFIRMS' IN MANY DETAILS' OTHER INDEPENDENT EYEWITNESSES. HIS
STORY WAS MOST VIVID BECAUSE HE HAD PARTICIPATED IN ALL. THE
EVENTS DESCRIBED' HAVING SLIPPEDOUT OF THE STEEL WORKS AT 0300
HOURS DEC 17. HIS STORY: THE SPECIAL POLICE/ARMY UNITS (70MO)
CRASHED THROUGH THE MAIN GATES OF THE STEEL MILL SHORTLY AFTER
0130 HOURS YESTERDAY y DECEMBER 16. THE ZOMO USED SEVERAL
TANKS TO BREAK DOWN THE MAIN GATE. THE ZOMO EJECTED WORKERS FROM
VARIOUS BUILDINGS AT THE INSTALLATION AND CONFRONTED THE BULK OF
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THE STRIKERS IN THE MAIN HALL OF THE WORKS. THE WORKERS, JOINED
BY STUDENTS FROM KRAKOW'S MINING AND METALLURGY ACADEMY AS WELL
AS THE. KRAKOW POLYTECHNIC UNVERSITY, JEERED THE SOLDIERS PART-?
ICIPATING AND YELLED "ARE YOU WITH US OR AGAINST US?" THE WORKERS
WERE ORDERED TO RETURN TO WORK, BUT THEY REFUSED AND RESPONDED
THAT MARSHALL LAW WAS ILLEGAL. THE WORKERS ALSO SANG RELIGIOUS HYMNS
AND PATRIOTIC SONGS. THE ZOMO WITHDREW AND RETURNED AT 0600
HOURS AND BEGAN TO EJECT THE WORKERS AND STUDENTS WHO OFFERED NO
RESISTANCE. THE ZOMO SINGLED OUT STUDENTS FOR BEATINGS, SO THE
STUDENTS ATTEMPTED TO FLEE THRUGH A TUNNEL TO
THE MAIN ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING (FROM THE MAIN HALL). STUDENTS
AND WORKERS TOOK REFUGE IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING BUT BEGAN
TO FILTER BACK TO THE MAIN HALL THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. THE
STUDENT HIMSELF WAS HELPED TO ESCAPE OVER THE WORKS' BACK FENCE
AT 0700 HOURS, BUT RETURNEI:- LATER WITH OTHER STUI-ENTS.WHEN HE
LEFT THE WORKS AT 0300 HOURS TODAY, THE ZOMO HAD STILL NOT
TAKEN OVER THE SPRAWLING STEEL WORKS COMPLEX. HE CONFIRME.DSTHAT
NOWA HUTA STRIKE LEADER MIECZYSLAW GIL. HAD ESCAPED ARREST AND
WAS NOW IN HIDING AND REORGANIZING THE STEELWORKERS.
1400 HOURS
AN AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENT JUST RETURNED TO THE CONSULATE FROM
THE ENTRANCE OF THE STEEL WORKS. HE SAID HE SAW A PRIEST INSIDE:
THE. MAIN GATE GIVING MASS, WITH SINGING OF RELIGIOUS AND
PATRIOTIC SONGS. HE AND OTHER ONLOOKERS WERE CHASED AWAY FROM THE
SCENE BY ZOMO POLICE. HE RAN TOWARD A LINE OF BUSES WHICH WERE
THOUGHT TO BE STATIONED THERE.. TO TAKE AWAY PROTESTERS.
1530
AN AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENT AND HER BOYFRIEND JUST RETURNED FROM
NOWA HUTA'S PLAC CENTRALNY (MAIN SQUARE) WHICH IS DOMINATED BY A
STATUE OF LENIN. THEY WERE AT THE PLAC AT 1200 HOURS TO OBSERVE.
THE SCHEDULED MARCH OF PROTESTERS ON THE STELL WORKS. A CROWD OF
TWO TO THREE HUNDRED PERSONS HAD GATHERED AT THE PLAC AND
STARTED MARCHING FROM THERE TOWARD THE STEEL. WORKS. THE. CROWD'S
PATCH WAS BLOCKED BY A LINE OF AT LEAST FIFTEEN TRUCKS AND OTHER
MILITARY VEHICLES (NO TANKS) AND A LINE OF HELMETED ZOMO POLICE:.
AS THE CROWD NEARED THE POLICE, THE POLICE CHARGED. THE AMERICAN
GIRL.. AND HER BOYFRIEND FLED AND WERE GIVEN REFUGE: IN AN APART.-.
MENT OVERLOOKING THE SCENE. SHE OBSERVED AT LEAST TEN TEAR GAS
CANISTERS FIRED AT THE DEMONSTRATORS. A MOTORIZED WATER CANNON
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SPEWED INDISCRIMINATELY AT THE DEMONSTRATORS, SOMETIMES EVEN
KNOCKING OVER ITS OWN ZOMO WHO WERE BEATING AND ARRESTING PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE BEATEN AND THROWN INTO POLIC WAGONS INCLUDED
ONE EXTREMELY EL.DERLY GRAY-HAIRED MAN WHO HAD YELLED 'GESTAPO,
GESTAPO,
AT THE ZOMO. MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN AND PUSHING BARY CARRIAGES WERE
ACCOSTED OR SPRAYED WITH WATER EVEN ON THE FRINGES OF THE
SCENE. THE CONFRONTATION ENDED AROUND 1230.WHEN THE COUPLE
ATTEMPTED TO DEPART FROM A TRAMSTOP NEAR THE PI..AC THEY OBSERVED
7OMO UNITS DEMANDING THAT PEOPLE NOT FORM CROWDS, TO DISPERSE AND
LEAVE THE AREA. TN SOME INSTANCES, THE ZOMO STEPPED INTO CROWDS
TO PHYSICALLY SPEARATE PEOPLE:. THE AMERICAN GIRL AND BOYFRINED
LEFT NOWA HUTA BY TRAM AT 1400 HOURS.
BASTIANI
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