Brief History
Human and Civil Rights Protection Movement, established on March 25th 1977, was one of the most important movements of democratic opposition in Poland before “Solidarity”. The main aim of the movement was to regain independence of Poland. ROPCiO gathered people who strongly opposed communist authority and totalitarian state, who wanted to protect national traditions and organized patriotic manifests. They co-organized independent editorial movement and promoted the idea of struggle for complete implementation of civil rights and democracy.
ROBCiO movement was a loose organization with no defined structures, open to all who aimed at protecting, respecting and strengthening human and civil rights in Poland. Leszek Moczulski and Andrzej Czuma were the unquestionable leaders.
Because of conflicts between the leaders (since spring 1978) and splits within the organization the movement had to reduce its activity, and thus limited its impact on society.
The events of August 1980 and the begin of “Solidarity” mark an end of ROBCiO. “Solidarity” took over most of ROBCiO’s aims and ideas. ROBCiO movement became a marginal organization and its activity finally ceased after December 13th, 1981.

		December 1978: Leszek Moczulski, Adam Wojciechowski. Fot. Janusz Krzyżewski		November 1979: Kazimierz Janusz, Kazimierz Świtoń, Andrzej Czuma. Fot. Janusz Krzyżewski		November 1979: Kazimierz Janusz, Kazimierz Świtoń, Andrzej Woźnicki, Andrzej Czuma, Marek Niesiołowski. Fot. Janusz Krzyżewski
November 1979: Kazimierz Świtoń, Andrzej Czuma, Marek Niesiołowski. Fot. Janusz Krzyżewski		January 1980: Bogumił Studziński, Stefan Kaczorowski, Marian Piłka. Fot. Janusz Krzyżewski		January 1980: Benedykt Czuma, Kazimierz Janusz, Andrzej Czuma, Adam Wojciechowski. Fot. Janusz Krzyżewski		December 2006: Benedykt Czuma, Andrzej Czuma, Grzegorz Waligóra, Jan Dworak. Fot. Piotr Życieński

Celabrations
The celebrations of the anniversary took place in Warsaw on March 23-26, 2007. On March 23rd Lech Kaczyński, the President of Poland awarded the movement activists with medals. On March 24th Bronisław Komorowski, the deputy Chairman of the Parliament opened the “Movement for rights protection” exhibition (organized by “Karta”). On the same day a scientific session on the subject was held at the Warsaw University. Furthermore, there ware several panel sessions aiming at depicting the activity of ROBCiO in particular Polish towns. On March 26th the members of the movement were hosted by Marek Jurek, Chairmen of the Parliament, where a documentary on ROBCiO was presented.