/ world today news/ Nearly 300 people gathered today for lunch at a protest in front of the BNR in defense of Petar Volgin‘s show “Deconstruction“, which was taken off the air on Monday.
In addition to listeners of the show, members of the public and colleagues of the journalist Volgin, the leader of the BSP City Council Kaloyan Pargov, MEP Iliana Yotova, MPs Krasimir Yankov, Stoyan Mirchev, Velizar Enchev, the doyenne of left-wing intellectuals, the writer Angel Wagenstein, the municipal councilor came to the protest Boris Tsvetkov and many others. Journalists from “Horizon” also stood out, demanding the resignation of the director of the BNR, Radoslav Yankulov.
After 30 minutes of chanting “Fascists”, “Deconstruction”, “Resignation”, protesters also blocked Dragan Tsankov boulevard, making a flash mob walk along the footpath in front of the BNR. The policemen who came to the scene started to stop the cars to make more room for the disaffected. The protesters demanded that the head of the radio, Radoslav Yankulov, come to them and explain to them the reasons for removing the broadcast. Despite repeated appeals, Yankulov never dared to come down. However, the protesters threatened that this would not be their last manifestation. Already on January 2, at 12 o’clock, they will be in front of the BNR and will block the boulevard again.
According to them, this protest should become permanent, as the only way for the voice of the people to be heard.
After the demonstration ended, Yankulov told BNR that he was not surprised by it because the show had a motivated audience. He categorically denied that there was a political motive in taking down “Deconstruction”. “I am against allegations of censorship. I defended Volgin for two years against those who attacked him. I tried to influence him, but it had no effect,” said Yankulov.
The Union of Bulgarian Journalists issued a statement saying a firm “no” to censorship. “The behavior of CEM, which instead of protecting democratic values in journalism, has become a censor of free speech is shameful and undignified. The claim that this dark act “ends censorship and the violation of free speech” is more than absurd,” they note. from SBZ. They urged the governing board of the BNR to reverse this decision, thus responding to the broad listener interest and protecting the public nature of the radio.
The posters “Cow cows out of CEM”, “No to political censorship”, “We are watching over the truth” were some of the slogans raised by the protesters.
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