Journalist At Olympics Suspended For Saying John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ Is A ‘Vision Of Communism’

Polish journalist and sports commentator Przemyslaw Babiarz has been suspended from the Paris Olympics after labeling John Lennon’s “Imagine” a “vision of communism.”

During the 2024 Olympics, the famed song — written by the late Beatle — was sung by French singer Juliette Armanet at the opening ceremony that took place on the Seine River in Paris on Friday.

While it was playing, the Polish state broadcaster said on air, “This is a vision of communism, unfortunately,” 

The comments immediately triggered a reaction for those watching in Poland, ABC News reported.

The public broadcaster Babiarz works for in Warsaw, TVP, later issued a statement that made it clear the well known commentator would not be commenting on air from Paris about any more from the summer Olympic games.

Polish state TV has suspended its main commentator for the Olympics after he said on air that the song “Imagine”, which was played at the opening ceremony, presents a “communist vision”.

The decision has been widely criticised, including by President Duda https://t.co/Yu2kIBNJ2T

— Notes from Poland ???????? (@notesfrompoland) July 27, 2024

“Mutual understanding, tolerance, reconciliation — these are not only the basic Olympic ideas, they are also the basis for the standards that guide the new Telewizja Polska (Polish Television),’” the statement read, per ABC News.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk removed the former TVP management after he took power in December, and replaced it, Yahoo.com noted. Prior to Tusk’ the TVP was criticized as the mouthpiece of the national-conservative PiS government, 

Conservative President Andrzej Duda and former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki blasted the move by TVP, the outlet noted.

“The truth will defend itself! Your actions will be remembered and censorship will fail,” Morawiecki wrote on X.

Some of the commentators on the left agreed that that punishment was too harsh for Babiarz, ABC News noted.

Poland’s Conservative leaders also criticized the involvement of drag queens during the opening ceremony at the Olympics and slammed what’s being seen as a parody of The Last Supper.

The Last Supper scene opened with an obese woman wearing an aureole as Jesus surrounded by drag queens as the Apostles, a decapitated head representing Marie Antoinette of the French Revolution, and drag queens dancing around children.

Following the backlash against the Olympics over the anti-Christian scene, Anne Descamps, a spokesperson for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games said at a press conference, “If people have taken any offense we are really sorry.” 

“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. (The opening ceremony) tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Descamps told reporters, via Reuters. “We believe this ambition was achieved.”

Related: Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Features Drag Parody Of Last Supper