Polish Demonstrations Mark Anniversary of Soviet Invasion

WARSAW — Shouting “Soviets go home” and “Down with communism,” Poles staged legal rallies and demonstrations in several major cities Sunday marking the 50th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.

In the capital, about 1,000 people attended a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at which speakers and veterans of World War II hailed the bravery of Polish fighters against the Soviets.

The demonstrations marked the first time Polish citizens have been allowed to publicly commemorate the World War II invasion by Moscow.

In the northwestern seaport of Szczecin, 13,000 people congregated in two separate peaceful rallies.

Elsewhere, flowers were laid on the tombs of victims executed for their political views and on the symbolic tomb of Polish officers in Warsaw. About 15,000 Polish officers disappeared and are believed to have been executed in the Soviet Union during the war.

As part of a nonaggression pact between Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, the Soviet Union attacked Poland from the East with more than 1 million troops on Sept. 17, 1939, 17 days after Hitler unleashed World War II with Germany’s attack on Poland. In June, 1941, Germany turned on Moscow, and the Soviet Union eventually teamed up with the victorious Allies.

There are believed to be about 45,000 Soviet troops still based in Poland as part of the Warsaw Pact alliance.