July, 2013 - Krakow Post

NEWS
■ Anthony Casey – inside-poland.com
Protestors demand Catholic channel
on national network
Supporters of the Catholic broadcaster TV
Trwam marched in Krakow in June calling
for the channel to be shown on the national
digital network.
The march drew protestors from Krakow,
and from surrounding cities and towns in
Małopolska and Śląsk. They carried banners
and flags, demanding that the National
Council of Radio and Television (KRRiT)
provide space for TV Twram.
The station is owned by the Catholic
charity Lux Veritas, which also runs Radio
Maryja and publishes the newspaper
Nasz Dziennik. It is available in Poland and
around the world via satellite, but has not
been granted a spot on the new digital
network.
Demonstrators in Krakow chanted slogans
such as ‘a free media in a free Poland’
and ‘we are on the street because we are
not in the media’. They said that KRRiT had
a responsibility to represent the 2.5 million
Polish viewers that TV Trwam claims to
have. KRRiT said that its decision was based
on the lack of transparency in TV Trwam’s
funding, not on any desire to censor.
On the same day, June 16, Jarosław
Kaczyński, leader of the Opposition (PiS),
also spoke in support of TV Trwam. At the
National Congress of Catholics in Jasna
Góra, Mr Kaczyński said KRRiT’s exclusion
of TV Trwam from the network was part of
a ‘very broad attack’ on the Church, by the
Polish government.
In his speech calling for ‘an end to atheism’,
Mr Kaczyński also said that the ruling
Civic Platform (PO) party must not introduce
laws against Catholic social teaching.
Super Expo Centre for Krakow
The largest exhibition and conference
centre in Małopolska is to open in Krakow,
in 2014.
Work on Expo Krakow is now underway,
and the centre is expected to welcome its
first guests in spring next year. The centre
will have a 13,000 square metre area, making
it the largest covered space of its kind
in Krakow.
Expo Krakow, at Plac Centralny in Nowa
Huta, will be run by Targi w Krakowie.
The company says the project’s completion
will mark the end of 17 years of careful
planning and will present a ‘modern,
multi-functional fair and congress centre’
for major congresses and one-off events.
Cracovians support Egypt protests
Cracovians came out in support of protesters
in Turkey, holding a march in the
city centre.
Marchers gathered in Rynek Główny on
June 2, and carried their banners and flags
to Wawel. They wanted to raise awareness
of the situation in Antakaya and Istanbul,
where protesters have died after clashing
with police during anti-government legislation.
But the Krakow marchers also wanted
to bring public attention to other aspects
of the Turkish government rule, such as
a proposed ban on kissing in public, and
restrictions on alcohol sales. Around one
hundred people attended the protest in
Krakow, which passed peacefully.
Machete attack leaves man dead
A man died after his arm was nearly severed
during an attack in a residential suburb
of Krakow.
The 23-year-old was found at ul. Żywiecka,
Borek Fałęcki, on June 13 at around 1pm. A
passer-by called emergency services, but
paramedics could not save his life, despite
a 90-minute resuscitation bid.
Police are currently seeking a 24-yearold
man named Wojciech L. in connection
with the incident.