A crowd gathered in front of the headquarters of TV Republika for a spontaneous demonstration in defence of the Free Speech Zone network, protesting efforts to revoke the station’s broadcasting license.
Following the large Warsaw march commemorating the millennium of the Kingdom of Poland, a spontaneous demonstration arose in defence of TV Republika, which proceeded to the station’s headquarters at Bankowy Square. There, the station’s president addressed those assembled.
“Thank you very much. Your presence is a testament to being a free human being,” said Tomasz Sakiewicz, President of TV Republika. “TV Republika is the solidarity of millions of viewers who support us every day,” he emphasized, asserting that all of this constitutes a great community.
Sakiewicz also spoke about the previous day’s TV Republika debate:
“We saw the true face of politics. It wasn’t about who was from the left or who was from the right. People very distant from my views—and those of our viewers—came, but they had the courage to take the stage and engage in debate, like Marshal Hołownia or Professor Senyszyn. There were also those who were cowardly, who ran away, hiding in an empty hall behind security guards,”
he recalled.
The president of TV Republika also mentioned the debate involving Rafał Trzaskowski, which took place after TV Republika’s own:
“This embarrassment, this disgrace, will be regretted by all who contributed to it. And the fact that they cannot determine who organized it—well, it’s like with a crime. Good things have many fathers, but bad things are orphans,”
he noted.
“That’s why they want to cut off our signal—because they’re afraid that a real debate will take place in Poland!”
Sakiewicz declared.
Tomasz Sakiewicz also affirmed that TV Republika will not give in and that the fight for free speech will continue.
“We will broadcast by every possible means. We are securing TV Republika! They ultimately won’t shut down our signal. At most, it will become more difficult or more expensive to broadcast—but they won’t succeed in shutting us down unless they want to turn Poland into North Korea and cut us off from modern technologies. We will find legal and technological means to reach the people,”
he said.
Sakiewicz also called for the promotion of other right-leaning media outlets, stating:
“Through this, we are building a shared network of free speech that they will not tear apart. We are together and we will remain together!”