“Those who believe that by issuing absurd decisions, by threatening us, they will shut down our television station, are gravely mistaken,” declared Tomasz Sakiewicz, president of TV Republika, during a demonstration in defence of the channel. He emphasized that since the ruling regarding the station’s broadcasting license, the number of viewers at the House of Free Speech has only been growing. He also reminded the public of the original motivation behind the establishment of TV Republika.
On Wednesday, a court overturned the decision of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) regarding licenses for several broadcasters, including TV Republika. The ruling sparked outrage not only in Poland but also internationally. On the same day, a spontaneous demonstration took place in front of the station’s headquarters. It was repeated the following Thursday.
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Addressing the gathered crowd, Tomasz Sakiewicz underscored that the station began broadcasting exactly twelve years ago. “It was precisely on April 10 that TV Republika launched its signal online, and not without reason—for the Smolensk lie which was the gravest falsehood in the history of the Third Republic of Poland,” he stated.
“The attempt to cover up what actually happened there, the attempt to obscure what was done to the families of the victims, the attempt to conceal the servility toward Putin and the collaboration of the Polish government—with the same prime minister as today—with the Russians: TV Republika was created so that people could learn what was truly going on,”
he said.
He noted that the date had not been chosen by accident. “This date became a symbol of dispelling through the greatest lie in the history of the Third Republic, for the Smolensk lie—like the Katyn lie—became the cornerstone of a certain political project. A project in which Poland was not to be an independent state, whereas the cornerstone of a sovereign Poland is freedom of speech,” he emphasized.
“Without this freedom, without the strength that comes from the sense of being free, access to truth, access to real choice—neither Poland nor any of us can be truly free,”
he added.
He also pointed out that the House of Free Speech is being built with the participation of its viewers. “TV Republika exists so that you can feel like citizens of a free country, and even if freedom is lacking in some places—even if some have faced imprisonment and persecution—that sense of freedom is with us because we can gather in a place of free people, in a place where people are not afraid to speak the truth. And the fact that we have strength, that the truth is heard, is thanks to you. A great force emanates from your hearts, your will, your courage. It has enabled us to create the largest news station in Poland and the largest conservative television network in Europe,” he stressed.
“Those who think that by issuing absurd decisions, by threatening us, they can shut down our television station—they were terribly wrong. Since Wednesday, we have gained viewers, we have gained support, and we have been receiving messages of support from all over the world. They were wrong. And now the authorities are panicking. They say nothing has happened, that it’s not a big deal—they don’t know how to get out of it. They are terrified by their own foolishness and cowardice. We will not allow ourselves to be silenced. We will broadcast even from abroad, even from the underground, but the signal that you receive will continue to reach you—because TV Republika is freedom,”
he declared.