Nationwide protest led by Self-Defense and OPZZ failed to attract the masses

Andrzej Lepper's attempt to paralyze the country has proved to be a total failure. Despite the threats of the Self-Defense leader that there would be huge numbers of protesters across the country, at best no more than a hundred marched through the town of Radom. A group of activists tried to block the de Gaulle roundabout in downtown Warsaw, but as elsewhere, the police quietly pushed them onto the pavement. All in all 11 people were arrested, of whom some will face court proceedings. "We have more problems during football league Wednesdays," was how the police commented on the events. "People are afraid of protesting, they fear the authorities," said Self-Defense Sejm deputy Danuta Hojarska. At the same time about 2,000 National Trade Unions' Alliance (OPZZ) members protested in Warsaw against the Monetary Policy Council and the head of the central bank Leszek Balcerowicz. Their main demand was that interest rates should be cut. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A3) K.S.