Inicjatywa Wschód announced on Saturday that it has withdrawn from participation in Campus Polska Przyszłości. The reason given was the previous cancellation of the journalist’s debate – the so-called panel of symmetrists. Four East Initiative activists would participate in the Campus panels.
Campus Poland of the Future had to be a place for meaningful discussions of people with different perspectives. After the news of the removal of the panel of four critical journalists, we have decided that de East will not participate in this event. We will not be an instrument of the party power struggle
The organization reports this on its Facebook page.
In our view, this edition of the Campus will be a party instrument to campaign for PO/KO, not really listening to the voices of the broad democratic opposition
– emphasized.
Symmetrists kicked off on campus
This year’s Poland of the Future Campus will take place from 25 to 30 August in Olsztyn. This will be the third edition of the event. As part of this event – as recently announced – there will be no panel of “symmetrists”. The organizers called off the debate after one of the panelists, journalist Grzegorz Sroczyński, made critical statements about some PO supporters.
Marcin Meller, who was to lead the event, announced Thursday the withdrawal of the panel of “symmetrists” from the Campus Poland of the Future program. The following journalists would participate in the discussion: Dominika Sitnicka, Grzegorz Sroczyński and Jan Wróbel.
In short: the Campus organizers called me asking if I could lead the panel without Grzegorz Sroczyński. I replied that it was not possible. That’s why I heard that the invitation has been withdrawn
Miller wrote.
Some media try to justify the removal of the panel of “symmetrists” from the Campus program in one of the recent statements of Grzegorz Sroczyński, a former TOK FM journalist. Gazeta.pl recalls that a journalist in the broadcast “Świat się wobbles” called the actions of radical supporters of the Civic Platform “Together Strong” as “bastards”.
It seems to them (Platforma Obywatelska – ed.) that this environment (#SilniRazem – ed.) does something to them, and it does nothing to them except internal acids and tracking symmetrists. (…) You breed such a mongrel, because it is not a dog that can bite someone (…). He bites his
– said the journalist quoted by the portal.
Grzegorz Sroczyński himself also commented on the case in an interview with Gazeta.pl.
Meller received a call from Sławomir Nitras (PO – PAP MP), who tried to change the already agreed composition of the panel of symmetrists. It was mostly about getting rid of me. Meller replied to Nitras that it was impossible, as he had previously been given freedom in choosing guests. He was hammered by Rafał Trzaskowski, whom they have been friends with for decades, but Meller remained adamant, i.e. he behaved decently. Then he heard they didn’t want us on campus. It’s so weird and embarrassing it’s hard to comment on it
said Sroczynski.
READ MORE:
– Żakowski outraged by the removal of the “symmetrists” panel from the Campus: if the PO does such a thing now, what will it do when it takes over TVP?
– Campus Trzaskowski without “symmetrists”. Outraged journalists: So this is the media image we will get after the election?
“We cannot tolerate aggression.”
The Campus of the Future Foundation, the organizer of the event, referred to the matter on Twitter on Friday. In a statement, the Foundation emphasizes that it has received many signals in recent days from Campus participants and guests expressing their displeasure and a sense of discomfort about the public statements made by one of the previously invited panelists.
We decided that in a sense of responsibility, our reaction and an attempt to talk about the composition of a specific event is necessary. (…) So we turned to the client to solve the problem. Until we reached a joint decision, we did not publish this panel and parts of others, including political events. We are open to diversity of views, but do not tolerate aggression or personal attacks
explained the foundation.
kk/PAP
Source: wPolityce