15 August is the day of Madonna's concert in Warsaw. This day is also a Catholic holiday of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary, therefore certain conservative groups have decided to raise a protest against the concert of the controversial star. And they go even further... The protesters not only want the boycott of the event, but they also demand to punish 'the guilty' – the organisers, that is Warsaw authorities, and the sponsors – the portal Allegro.pl

According to the website Prawica.net, Marian Brudzynski, the councillor of the local parliament of the Masovian voivodeship (who has been previously linked to Radio Maryja and the nationalistic political party LPR) appealed to the President of the city Warsaw, the mayor of Bemowo (Warsaw district where the concert is going to take place) and the Minister of the Interior and Administration to call off the concert. He also demands that Allegro.pl stop selling the tickets. He says in Gazeta Wyborcza that 'Madonna's concert hurts religious and patriotic feelings (...) Warsaw authorities have to change the date of the concert or call it off and pay the fine'.

Also the Unum Principium Association, via its spokesperson Krzysztof Zagozda, demands to call off the concert, calling the event an Anti-Christian provocation (Dziennik).

Another protester is the Catholic priest Stanislaw Malkowski, a former chaplain of 'Solidarity'. He states that people to blame for this project 'should be disclosed. The church and the nation should forcely protest: non possumus!'

There is also a protesting committee planning to drown out the concert if it is not called off or moved to another day. However, Bemowo authorities promise the concert will go on as planned.

Suprisingly enough, the protesters got a powerful ally – Janusz Kochanowski, the Spokesperson for Citizens' Rights (RPO), who states that the artist name, as well as her behaviour on stage and in life is provocative for many people and organising her concert on the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary day may offend many Catholics. He also explains there are certain bounds of decency which cannot be overstepped in the name of freedom, be it freedom of artistic expression, conscience or religion. Artistic provocation cannot violate constitutional rights and freedom of other people and hurt their religious feelings.


Indeks 73 Commentary

Everybody's got a right to express their own beliefs and, for example, consider Madonna's concert offensive. In a democratic country one can express one's discontent in many ways: protesters can meet at the mass during the concert, organise a legal demonstration, the priests may encourage worshippers to boycott the concert, but nobody can openly call for censorship – it's an infringement of Article 73 of the Polish Constitution referring to freedom of artistic expression and free access to cultural goods.

The concert organisers expect over 75 000 Polish citizens to come to Madonna's concert – it's quite a lot as for such a 'Catholic country' as Unum Principium wants to see it. It seems the protests come mostly from the radical groups who want to benefit politically from the scandal, yet average citizens, including Catholics, keep clear of the arguments and look forward to the concert.

As far as the Spokesperson for Citizens' Rights is concerned, his opinion is disturbing, as he gives priority to feelings rather than constitutional rights. Secondly, taking seriously Jan Kochanowski's opinion would make it impossible to criticise the Catholic Church in any way: freedom of speech is openly less important there than religious feelings. Thirdly, in his statement Madonna is not blamed for her provocation, but for a coincidence of the dates. This means the RPO doesn't protect religion against provocation, but refuses the right of coexistance to the people of various beliefs. Let some people go to the mess, and others will go to the concert...

There are many Catholic holidays in the calendar: Corpus Christi, Feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 December), Feast of Saint Joseph (10 March), Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June) and many more – will concerts and events be forbidden on these days? Will people have to finish their parties on New Year's Eve at midnight because of the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on 1 January?

We hope the President of Warsaw, Halina Gronkiewicz-Waltz, will take a stand in defence of constitutional rights to freedom of artistic expression and will support pluralism and democracy.


Translated by Małgorzata Głombiowska