▁not ▁to ▁send ▁food ▁to ▁towns ▁and ▁cities , ▁and ▁also ▁block ▁roads . ▁Tim ing ▁was ▁cru cial , ▁as ▁in ▁mid - August , ▁old ▁food ▁supplies ▁in ▁the ▁cities ▁had ▁been ▁exha usted , ▁and ▁deliver ies ▁of ▁new ▁goods ▁were ▁expected ▁to ▁cover ▁short ages . ▁SL ▁activ ists , ▁who ▁created ▁Pe asant ▁Order ▁Guard ▁( Ch lo ps ka ▁Stra z ▁Por z ad k owa ) ▁watched ▁the ▁roads , ▁ur ging ▁all ▁pe as ants ▁not ▁to ▁we as el ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁strike . ▁The ▁biggest ▁August ▁ 1 5 ▁r al lies ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Jar os ław , ▁Gre bow , ▁D ę b ica , ▁Prz ew or sk , ▁Bo chn ia , ▁and ▁C iez kow ice . ▁ ▁The ▁strike ▁begun ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁and ▁last ed ▁( as ▁planned ) ▁till ▁August ▁ 2 5 . ▁SL ▁leaders ▁kept ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁strike ▁as ▁top ▁secret . ▁In ▁his ▁mem oir s , ▁an ▁SL ▁activ ist ▁from ▁Bo chn ia ▁wrote : ▁" Every thing ▁was ▁carefully ▁prepared . ▁M embers ▁of ▁Krak ów ' s ▁district ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁came ▁to ▁our ▁village , ▁instruct ing ▁us ▁what ▁to ▁do ▁and ▁how ▁to ▁act ▁in ▁case ▁of ▁trouble . ▁We ▁were ▁told ▁to ▁light ▁bon f ires ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 4 , ▁as ▁a ▁sign ▁that ▁a ▁large ▁meeting ▁of ▁pe