Conservative Catholic campaigners in Poland have claimed an energy drink branded “Demon” can promote evil and lead to the “destruction of human souls”.

Furious with the drink’s arrival on the Polish market one website, entitled Satanism Shall Not Pass, said that it’s advertising campaign will lead to “billboards dripping with Satanism”, and has added its voice to calls for a boycott of all products made by Agros-Nova, the drink’s producer.

Demon, the website, claimed, was “promoting evil, atrocities and the destruction of human souls.” Franciszek Kucharczak, editor of the Gość Niedzielny, a respected religious magazine, warned: “We have to fight against evil. We cannot keep quiet and let young people be absorbed into destructive ideals.”

Opponents of Demon have taken particular umbrage (obraza) at the choice of Adam Darski, lead singer of the Polish death-metal group Behemoth, to front the campaign. Mr Darski, who goes by the stage name Nergal, has long been the target of conservative, religious vitriol since he was accused in 2007 of insulting religious sentiment by tearing up a Bible on stage.

Nergal

The singer will promote the drink, which originated in New Zealand, under the slogan “No limits. No laws.” “The release on to the market of the Demon energy drink will set in motion an advertising campaign that will glorify everything demonic and that well known satanic celebrity Nergal,” said the organisers of a Facebook page opposing the drink.

In an attempt to cool some of the fervent ire of his critics Mr Darski, who survived cancer, said he would donate some of his fee for campaign to a leukaemia charity.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)