The manifestation on May 3, 1946 was organized on the Main Square in Krakow. It was an attempt to resist Krakow‘s society, mainly students, against the then authorities. The purpose of the demonstration was to recall the assumptions of the constitution and to draw attention to the fact that the constitution in Poland is violated.
The local authorities reacted aggressively to the demonstration. Fire hoses and a tank were used, shooting began, and as a result, several people were injured. The manifestation was headed by a medical student, and later an outstanding surgeon, Dr. Jan Deszcz.
It was suspected that provocateurs from the Security Office (Polish: Urząd Bezpieczeństwa) had joined the demonstration, which was later confirmed, because after a few days mass arrests of students began. In response, the youth organized a school strike and on May 10, 1946, on average, 57 percent of students were absent in almost all junior high schools and high schools.