On 17 December 2025, in Gdynia, on the anniversary of the events known in Polish history as Black Thursday, tribute was paid to the victims by the President of the Republic of Poland Karol Nawrocki and the Deputy President of the IPN Prof. Karol Polejowski.

17 December 1970 is etched tragically into the history of Poland’s Baltic coast. On that day in Gdynia, Zbigniew Godlewski—an eighteen-year-old worker at the Gdynia Shipyard—was killed by army gunfire. His memory has been immortalized in the the “Ballad of Janek Wiśniewski.”

During the brutal suppression of workers’ protests in December 1970, 45 people lost their lives. Violent clashes occurred not only in Gdynia, but also in Elbląg and Słupsk. A total of 1,165 people were injured, and around 3,000 were brutally beaten and subsequently arrested.

The anniversary commemorations traditionally began at 6:00 a.m. at the Monument to the Victims of December 1970 in Gdynia—the very place where, 55 years ago, the army opened fire on workers on their way to work. In his address, President Karol Nawrocki emphasized the importance of remembering the victims of communist violence and the responsibility of the state to preserve historical truth.

“Our national memory stands with the victims, of truth and justice, and against those who ordered the killing of people demanding freedom, dignity, and solidarity,” said the President of the Republic of Poland.

Next to speak was Roman Kuzimski, Chairman of the Commission of NSZZ “Solidarność” at the Gdynia Shipyard, representing the main organizer of the event.

Flowers were laid at the memorial by representatives of state institutions and trade-union organizations. On behalf of the IPN, tribute to the victims was paid by Deputy President Karol Polejowski and Marek Szymaniak, Director of the IPN Branch in Gdańsk.