Demonstration in defence of Cegielski's fired workers

Molly

On 23^rd October almost 4,000 workers from different trade unions took part in a demonstration in defence of their workplaces. About 500 people are going to be fired from the Cegielski factory due to the so-called economic crisis. Anarchists and members of anarcho-syndicalist trade union Wokers' Initiative also took part in the protest.

The demonstrtors first gathered on the premises of the factory and then moved towards the Provincial Office. The bloc of Workers' Initiative and Sierpien '80 together with the anarchists was chanting slogans such as “Government out to the pavement, paving stones on the government”, “One, two, three, four, stop those damn dismissals”, “A worker dismissed, a boss hanged”, “Capitalism isn't working! factories under the control of workers” etc. Rhythms of Resistance samba group from Poznan supported the demo with their rhythms. A banner saying “A worker dismissed, a boss hanged” was dropped from one building on the route of the demo.

When the demonstration reached the Provincial Office, the leaders of Solidarnosc trade union (which organized the demonstration) were declaring a radical fight in defence of the workplaces and even “burning the office”, at the same time they were buring car tyres. When the anarchists joined the shipyard workers in the back of the office building clashes with the police broke out, then the shipyard workers retreated as they were told to by their leaders.

After the demonstration had finished, the cops on horses surrounded a group of anarchists and WI activists, also those from Cegielski factory and took their I.D.s. At the same time one of the WI activists interrupted a live TV interview given by the boss of Solidarnosc and said “The members of our union are being nicked over there, and people from Solidarnosc are doing nothing about it, where is your solidarity??!!”. This event was trasmitted live to the public TV news. None of the demonstrators was arrested. Three cops and one unionist got injured and hospitalized. Photos and videos below