Solidarity (Poland)

Solidarity (Solidarność) is a Polish social movement and trade union founded in 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyard, led by Lech Wałęsa. It emerged as a response to poor working conditions and political repression under communist rule. Solidarity combined labor rights with broader demands for democracy and social change, gaining mass support among workers and the public. Its activism played a crucial role in the weakening of communist power in Poland, contributing to the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. Solidarity is often celebrated as a symbol of peaceful resistance and the struggle for human rights.