The commemorations of the tragic events from 53 years ago took place on Sunday morning in Gdynia.

"To the heroes of December '70: thank you for your courage, integrity, determination and sacrifice, thanks to which our nation ultimately prevailed, overthrew the Soviet dictatorship and rebuilt a free Poland. I deeply believe that the memory of those tragic events will remain as a warning and an ever-present commitment to strengthen our sovereign state, based on the principle of solidarity, and to ensure the successful and righteous development of Poland," President Andrzej Duda said in his letter.

The direct cause of strikes and demonstrations was the increase in retail prices of meat and other food products introduced on December 12. Tens of thousands took to the streets of Poland’s northern cities to protest the decision and demand reforms in the payroll system. In response, the authorities allowed the army and militia to violently put down the demonstrations.

In Gdynia were more peaceful than in Gdańsk, Szczecin and Elbląg, shipyard employees agreed to come back to work. But they were stopped by the army and police, who opened fire on the crowd. This triggered riots across the city.

The so-called Black Thursday was the most brutal day of the workers’ protests on the Polish coast. According to modern accounts, 18 people perished and hundreds were wounded in Gdynia alone. Another eight individuals lost their lives in Szczecin on that day.

Overall, as a result of the brutal suppression of strikes, more than 1,000 people sustained injuries; at least 44 were killed and 3,000 arrested.

The unrest on the Polish coast led to changes at the top of Poland’s government, as Władysław Gomułka resigned as the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR) in place of Edward Gierek. But justice never reached individuals responsible for the massacre.