Walesa released from prison. On November 14, 1982, the city of Gdańsk, birthplace of the historic Polish shipyard strike, celebrated the homecoming of Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. Walesa, a prominent activist in the Polish labor movement, had been arrested in 1981 as part of Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski’s efforts to crush the Solidarity movement. However, his supporters took to the streets to loudly call for the release of the middle-aged electrician, with demonstrations, union meetings, and church gatherings. Not even martial law could silence the cry of “Free Lech!” that rose across the country. Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and in 1990 became Poland’s first democratically elected president.
