History Committee for Social Self-Defense KOR

reenactment of 1976 protests in radom, leading mass arrests. committee social self-defense kor formed represent , victims.

the committee social self-defense kor (with fourteen members upon formation in 1978) grew rapidly important political pressure group shaping doctrines of emerging opposition movement of 1970s in communist poland. program adopted on mass scale in summer of 1980 constituting basis solidarity ideology. on 5 years of existence, kss-kor wielded tremendous influence on poland s social self-organization, aimed defend “human , civil rights”; “oppose breaches of law”; “safeguard civil liberties”; “fight political, religious , ideological persecution”; , “provide persecuted”. kor members insisted on operating openly in public – wrote jeremy brecher – , that, blacklisted authorities, beaten mo, , imprisoned. nonetheless persisted, opposing communist regime in poland, , triggering process of social change culminated in collapse of communism 2 decades later. creation of kss kor preceded massive increases in food prices in 1976, led countrywide june 1976 protests in radom, ursus, plock, gdańsk, szczecin, elblag, , in Łódź, 80,000 strikers. authorities brought in paramilitary zomo battalions crush protests. more 1,000 people thrown jail, repeatedly beaten, , tortured. kss-kor formed them survive ordeal, collected donations legal defense, held public lectures, cultural events, , provided aid families of victims.