Czech Republic

Czech Elections: We have identified 20 Romani candidates running in the early elections to the lower house

Prague, 16.10.2013 0:28, (ROMEA) The early elections are sparking many questions and have been at the center of media attention for several weeks now. Naturally, we also have focused on them, because the historically largest number of Romani candidates since 1990 is running in these elections, whether trying to reach the voters through independent Romani parties or running on the candidate lists of “majority” parties.  full story

Huňaková (Lev 21), Roma candidate to the Czech lower house: Roma want to improve coexistence

Prague, 15.10.2013 23:17, (ROMEA) An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year's early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.  full story

ROMEA report on Czech antigypsyism, media, politics and the lives of impoverished Roma in 2012

Prague, 15.10.2013 21:19, (ROMEA) The ROMEA civic association has decided to publish its first-ever report on the state of the Romani minority in the Czech Republic due to the danger of increasingly direct antigypsyism, extremism and racism in the country. The report primarily covers the year 2012 and part of 2013.  full story

Czech Republic: Municipality in Ostrava plans to ban right-wing radical meeting

Ostrava, 15.10.2013 16:55, (ROMEA) The local council of the centrally-located municipal department of Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz in Ostrava is planning to ban an anti-Romani event organized by right-wing radicals for this coming Saturday who have announced their intentions to gather and march through the town. Jana Pondělíčková, spokesperson for the Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz local government, told the Czech News Agency that the demonstration would coincide with an open house being held at the Ostrava Town Hall in the vicinity and the municipal department is concerned the ultra-right gathering poses a risk to security and will cause transportation complications.  full story

Czech Social Democrats' main candidate in Ústí latest victim of neo-Nazi hack

Děčín, 14.10.2013 23:46, (ROMEA) The neo-Nazi hackers of the Czech internet are continuing their assaults. After hacking the Twitter account of Vladimír Špidla (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) this morning, the Facebook profile of Jaroslav Foldyna, the leader of the party's candidate list in the Ústí Region, was hacked this evening.  full story

E-mail, Twitter accounts of former Czech PM hacked to spread racist slogans

Prague, 14.10.2013 20:53, (ROMEA) Someone has hacked the e-mail and Twitter accounts of Vladimír Špidla, the former Czech prime minister and current shadow environment minister for the Czech Social Democrats (ČSSD) and used them to spread racist messages. Špidla blames right-wing extremists for the hack and has yet to regain control of his accounts.  full story

Jarmila Balážová: Czech Green Party bravely runs Romani candidates despite social atmosphere

Prague, 14.10.2013 19:39, (ROMEA) In recent days one of the most significant political events in the post-1989 era ever to concern Romani people and their participation in real decision-making (i.e., not just "advising" the authorities) about matters that influence hundreds of thousands of citizens of this country has taken place. A great deal has already being written here about Romani education, inclusion, integration, segregation, the "special" schools and the inability of Romani people to become more involved in designing the politics and strategies that influence their lives.  full story

Commentary: Romani unemployment endangers the Czech economy

13.10.2013 21:56, (ROMEA) According to estimates by the Czech Labor Office, the number of unemployed Romani people has significantly grown in recent years. While official statistics are not kept about the ethnicity of the unemployed, the Labor Office has produced its estimate for the Office of the Government to use as part of its reporting on how it is fulfilling its obligations as part of the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015.  full story

Czech court overturns acquittal of former neo-Nazi party members

Prague, 12.10.2013 19:29, (ROMEA) At the end of September a Prague appeals court overturned the first-instance acquittal of former members of the now-defunct Workers' Party (Dělnická strana - DS) and other right-wing extremists charged with promoting neo-Nazism. Court spokesperson Zuzana Steinerová has confirmed the eight defendants will have to appear once more before the Prague 1 District Court.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani family says police broke into their home and beat them for no reason

Ústí nad Labem, 11.10.2013 21:16, (ROMEA) A visit by relatives to a Romani family residing at the Mojžíř housing estate in Ústí nad Labem ended with police intervening and beating up several people. The police raided the family last Sunday shortly after 10 PM on the basis of a complaint from a neighbor bothered by noise coming from their apartment.  full story

David Tišer, Roma candidate to the Czech lower house: My dream is fulfillment for all

Prague, 10.10.2013 23:23, (ROMEA) An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year's early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis plan anti-Roma event for 19 October in Ostrava

Ostrava, 10.10.2013 17:53, (ROMEA) Yet another anti-Roma event by right-wing radicals will take place in Ostrava on 19 October. The protest, following by a march through the town, was originally announced as beginning at the town hall, which is having its open house on that day.  full story

Czech Green Party: Romani volunteers helping campaign in the streets

Prague, 8.10.2013 23:14, (ROMEA) Hundreds of volunteers with the Green Party (Strana zelených - SZ) have taken to the streets of towns across the Czech Republic to familiarize voters with the party's program and introduce the Greens as a good choice for the October elections. Volunteers include the leaders of the SZ candidate lists, famous personalities, and citizens who want to support the Greens and joined the voter turnout project at www.kampanjstevy.cz.  full story

Czech Green Party candidate says more Roma interest in politics can fuel change

Pardubice, 8.10.2013 20:52, (ROMEA) An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year's early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis now at upscale addresses in Brno

Prague, 8.10.2013 17:29, (ROMEA) After several recent successes by antifascists in the city of Brno it might seem the struggle against neo-Nazis has been symbolically won there. In reality the neo-Nazis remain active in the Czech Republic's second-largest city and can be found at rather upscale addresses.  full story

Romea.cz reports Facebook group "Gypsies to the Gas Chambers", Facebook sees no problem

Prague, 7.10.2013 17:57, (ROMEA) The Czech administrators of the Facebook social networking site must really like racism. How else can their refusal to close a group named "Gypsies to the Gas Chambers" ("Cíkáni do plynu") be explained?  full story

videoCzech Republic: Roma Pride 2013 marches through Prague

Prague, 6.10.2013 20:48, (ROMEA) Approximately 300 people participated in the Roma Pride 2013 march today in Prague. The parade set out from the Old Town Square at around 13:00 for Prague Castle.  full story

Czech fact-checkers find untruth in interview with Romani party chair

Prague, 5.10.2013 18:38, (ROMEA) Miroslav Tancoš, the chair of the Romani Democratic Party (Romská demokratická strana - RDS), was recently featured in the Czech Television program "Interview with Daniela Drtinová" (Interview Daniely Drtinové). Tancoš presented the party's plans for the upcoming elections, in which it is fielding candidates in only a few regions.  full story

Czech Republic: Town approves fence around privatized ghetto locality as investor fails to deliver

Přerov, 5.10.2013 3:08, (ROMEA) A locality on Škodova Street in the Czech town of Přerov over which local government is involved in a lawsuit with property owners will soon be fenced off. The town council has agreed to the measure with the bankruptcy administrator for the firm that owns the property.  full story

Czech political parties agree pig farm on Roma Holocaust site should be removed

Prague, 5.10.2013 0:24, (ROMEA) The topic of journalist Martin Veselovský's fourth election special for Czech Radio on news server Rozhlas.cz was racism and relations toward minorities in the Czech Republic. Among the topics that were discussed was the possible removal of the pig farm located on the site of the former concentration camp for Romani people at Lety by Písek.  full story