Freedom Call

The regime braces for trouble

"Free Walesa, or make it possible for him to speak as a free man." When Archbishop Jozef Glemp uttered those words from a balcony of the medieval monastery at Czestochowa last week, more than 350,000 worshipers burst into prolonged cheers and applause, many of them raising their hands in victory signs. The pilgrims had come from every corner of Poland to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the "Black Madonna," the Roman Catholic nation's holiest shrine. As the government prepared to clamp down this week on demonstrations to mark the second anniversary of the creation of the independent union Solidarity, Glemp seized the occasion to issue one of his strongest statements against the martial-law regime imposed by General Wojciech Jaruzelski eight months ago.

In addition to demanding the release of Lech Walesa, the leader of the suspended Solidarity labor union, Poland's Primate outlined three conditions for "national reconciliation": the revival of free trade-union activity, the release of some 600 Poles who remain in detention camps and amnesty for the estimated 2,000 people convicted of violations of martial law and a firm date for a visit by Pope John Paul II to his native land.

The Pontiff had hoped to attend last week's ceremonies, but Polish authorities cited continuing unrest as an excuse for postponing the papal visit at least until next year. John Paul's absence was symbolized by a conspicuously empty seat on the monastery's dais. From his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, meanwhile, the Pope celebrated the Black Madonna's anniversary with a special Mass at which he declared that the Polish "state can be truly strong only with the support of society." But he added that national reconciliation could come only through dialogue, not opposition or violence. John Paul's cautionary words were echoed by Glemp, who tempered his demands for liberalization with a warning against demonstrations. Said he: "There has already been enough blood on our streets, and for this reason the conference table is the place for talks."

The government shared the church's concern about the chance of large street demonstrations. Some underground leaders have called for a show of popular force to pressure the regime into resuming its abandoned dialogue with the suspended union. In an orchestrated scare campaign, the authorities have vowed to meet force with force. Jaruzelski told party chiefs from more than 200 factories that "brawlers have no chances." On television, Interior Minister General Czeslaw Kiszczak boasted that the state was well prepared to maintain order. Said he: "Those who incite disturbances must take into account bloodshed and jeopardizing of human life." Meanwhile, the government began deploying riot troops and water cannons at such expected gathering points as Warsaw's Castle Square. Tensions rose at week's end, when the state television announced that 108 people had been arrested following riots in the textile center of Lodz. Equally ominous was the news of joint Polish-Soviet army maneuvers near Warsaw.

If large demonstrations and widespread repression do occur this week, there could be a new spiral of violence that might ultimately prompt Soviet-bloc intervention. But if the regime succeeds in scaring people off the streets, its next move could be the formal banning of Solidarity. Either way, the prospects of reviving the dream of freedom that was born in Gdansk two years ago seemed dimmer than ever.

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