'I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear'

From 1945 until the late 1970s, Poland was under a Soviet-imposed communist rule. Much as with any implementation of communism throughout history, resources became limited, food scarce, cost highs and wages low. Freedom was also little more than a dream for most Poles. The people were suffering.

In 1978, the election of the Archbishop of Krakow Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to the papacy, under the new name of John Paul II, rallied Polish pride and their spirit of resistance. That new national fervor and sense of identity was further bolstered by John Paul II’s visit to Poland in 1979. The Polish Pope was a death knell for communism in Poland, even if the communist regime did not yet realize it.

By 1980, trade union activists protesting skyrocketing costs and socialist government overreach went on strike at the Gdansk shipyard.

The government declared martial law and tried to quell the new ‘Solidarity’ movement in Poland; their efforts failed.

Polish pride had ignited a fire that unified the people, the Solidarity movement also had underground financial backing from the Vatican as part of the Catholic church’s efforts to thwart communism throughout Europe.

The Solidarity movement grew to over 10-million people, surging with each new attempted government crackdown. Roughly one-third of the nation’s working-age population were affiliated with Solidarity. Within a decade of Pope John Paul II’s visit, the Solidarity movement helped bring about Poland’s first free elections since the Second World War.

Pastor Artur Pawlowski, a proud Pole, frequently speaks about the Solidarity movement as a major inspiration for his convictions. It is no wonder that a Polish priest leading a nation oppressed by overbearing politicians would speak to Pastor Artur on a personal level.

Artur, and countless other immigrants who have lived through communism before coming to Canada, are sounding the alarm that some of the Soviet-era overreach they experienced in their youth is now rearing its head here in Canada. Pastor Artur, who had been arrested and spent time in jail for daring to open his church despite COVID-19 restrictions, knows better than anyone just how militant Canadians officials can be.

Pastor Artur Pawlowski, like so many immigrants who came to Canada for freedom above all else, is extremely concerned that many aspects of the government response to COVID-19 are hauntingly similar to the onset of totalitarian rule that he witnessed in his youth in Poland.

In an effort to unify the vast array of people fighting for their freedoms here in Canada, Artur has started the Solidarity Movement of Canada.

We joined Artur for an interview about his motivations and his hopes for what he believes is a tide changing moment in Canadian history, much as it was in Poland, a united and fearless Solidarity movement for the people.

Pastor Artur’s fight for freedom would simply not be possible without your generous contributions.

The state has tried to muzzle him, tried to take away his freedom to travel and thrown him in jail, but thanks to your support at SaveArtur.com, we’ve always been able to provide a top-notch lawyer at no cost to Artur to ensure he has his day in court. Your donations at SaveArtur.com go to The Democracy Fund, a registered Canadian charity, so you will receive a tax receipt when you make a contribution in a show of solidarity with Pastor Artur.