Topic summary
December 1970 protests in Poland
Non-centralized leadership
Some prominent figures:
Zbyszek Godlewski†
- 27,000 soldiers
- 5,000 members of special squads of police
- 550 tanks
- 700 armoured personnel carriers
Several thousand protesters
The December 1970 protests in Poland, also known as the December 1970 events (Polish: Wydarzenia Grudnia 1970), December events (Polish: Wydarzenia grudniowe), December revolution (Polish: Rewolta grudniowa), and the Coast Massacre (Polish: Masakra na Wybrzeżu), occurred in northern Poland from 14–19 December 1970. The protests were sparked by a sudden increase in the prices of food and other everyday items while wages remained stagnant. Strikes were put down by the Polish People's Army and the Citizen's Militia, resulting in at least 44 people killed and more than 1,000 wounded.