▁the ▁SL ▁structures ▁were ▁the ▁strong est . ▁Pe asant ▁demonstr ators ▁block aded ▁roads ▁and ▁stopped ▁food ▁trans ports ▁to ▁the ▁cities , ▁and ▁at ▁first , ▁the ▁government ▁toler ated ▁the ▁action , ▁regarding ▁it ▁as ▁legal , ▁and ▁convinced ▁that ▁the ▁SL ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁protest . ▁Also , ▁as ▁Fel ic jan ▁S la wo j - Sk lad kow ski ▁stated ▁later , ▁SL ▁leadership ▁had ▁assured ▁that ▁the ▁strike ▁would ▁be ▁of ▁peace ful ▁character . ▁Therefore , ▁Sk lad kow ski ▁had ▁left ▁for ▁a ▁two - week ▁vac ation ▁in ▁France , ▁leaving ▁Eugen ius z ▁K wi at kow ski ▁in ▁charge . ▁This ▁indicated ▁that ▁the ▁government , ▁even ▁though ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁strike , ▁did ▁not ▁plan ▁to ▁use ▁force . ▁One ▁of ▁pe asant ▁activ ists ▁from ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁S andom ierz ▁wrote ▁later : ▁" In ▁every ▁village ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁strike ▁committee , ▁with ▁deput ies ▁in ▁case ▁of ▁arr ests . ▁There ▁were ▁self - re liance ▁organizations , ▁which ▁collected ▁food ▁and ▁money ▁for ▁those ▁in car cer ated . ▁Also , ▁families ▁of ▁arrested ▁activ ists ▁were ▁offered ▁help ▁during ▁the ▁har vest ▁time ". ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁few ▁days , ▁however , ▁this ▁st ance ▁was ▁changed ▁and ▁terror ▁was ▁introduced . ▁The ▁change ▁was ▁also ▁sp ur red ▁by ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁pe as ants ▁themselves , ▁who ▁had ▁become ▁more ▁radical . ▁SL ▁activ ists ▁created ▁groups