Debata: „50. rocznica wydarzeń w Płocku, Radomiu i Ursusie w 1976 r.”

On June 15, 2026, a debate dedicated to the social protests of June 1976 – one of the most important workers' protests in the history of the Polish People's Republic – took place at the IPN's Central History Point named after President Lech Kaczyński. The meeting was moderated by editor Krzysztof Świątek, and its guests included participants in the 1976 Ursus events: Roman Bielański, Eugeniusz Gawinek, Ryszard Kowalski, and an expert in this field – Dr. Justyna Błażejowska from the IPN's Historical Research Office. Co-founder of the Workers' Defense Committee, Minister Piotr Naimski, also spoke during the debate. The following topics were discussed: ▪ What were the social and political causes of the workers' protests in June 1976? ▪ Why did the protests primarily concern Radom, Ursus, and Płock? ▪ How many people died during the protests, and why do their memories remain largely absent from public consciousness? ▪ What repressions did protesters and their families face? ▪ How did the events of June 1976 lead to the formation of the Workers' Defense Committee? June 1976 was a public response to the deteriorating economic situation and planned food price increases. Strikes, demonstrations, and brutal repression by the communist authorities occurred in Radom, Ursus, and Płock. At the same time, these events sparked the development of independent civic initiatives and the emergence of opposition groups, which in subsequent years played a significant role in the fight for freedom and democracy.