“A world without heaven, nations, religions. This is the vision of peace that is to encompass everyone. This is the vision of communism,” said Przemysław Babiarz, commenting on the song “Imagine”, which was performed during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. These words triggered an avalanche of emotions. Telewizja Polska immediately issued a statement and suspended the sports commentator from performing his professional duties during the next Olympic competitions. “Mutual understanding, tolerance, reconciliation – these are not only the basic Olympic ideas, they are also the foundation of the standards that guide the new Telewizja Polska,” it was emphasized in the justification.
Controversy over Babiarz’s words
Although it is certain that a sports commentator should keep literary analyses to himself, the decision of Telewizja Polska remains too sudden and incomprehensible for many people. Even the head of the National Broadcasting Council, Maciej Świrski, commented on it, announcing explanatory proceedings “to verify whether the right to freedom of speech of a journalist has not been violated”.
In turn, Babiarz’s defenders recalled what John Lennon himself said about his song: Imagine, which says: imagine there is no more religion, no more country, no more politics, is practically a communist manifesto, although I am not particularly a communist and I do not belong to any movement.
Free ramen for life
Bydgoszcz restaurant “Tako Sushi” decided to publicly express its support for the sports commentator and offered him… free ramen for life. “If Freedom Means Anything at All, it means the right to tell people what they don’t want to hear… Mr. Przemysław, if this reaches you – you have free ramen for life. Supposedly we have new standards, rule of law, freedom of speech. Dear friends, please no political subtexts or religious references. This is not a post about that. We are defending Mr. Przemysław, because he did not deserve any suspension and we hope that TVP will come to its senses. This is not the place for a war of show-offs” – we read on their profile.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
