Czech Republic

Open letter to Czech Television: Talk show features anti-Roma bias, racist untruths

Prague, 4.10.2013 22:17, (ROMEA) A complaint has been sent to the board of Czech Television about Michaela Jílková, the moderator of its talk show program "Máte slovo" ("You Have the Floor"), specifically concerning a recent episode on the topic of Romani people and ultra-right extremism. The open letter points to her lack of professionalism, her inability to become better acquainted with the topics her program covers, and the biased shift against Romani people that she caused in a recent discussion through her inability to perform her role as moderator without sensationalizing the topic at hand.  full story

Czech Republic: Radicalization of Romani people increasing

Ostrava/Ústí nad Labem, 4.10.2013 17:19, (ROMEA) For some time now we have been observing that in several localities throughout the Czech Republic some Romani people, adolescents or young men in particular, have been radicalizing. Footage taken of the anti-Romani demonstrations earlier this year in České Budějovice shows us that the possibility of being filmed, either with a mobile device or video cameras, did not deter some Roma from responding to racist provocations there with violence.  full story

Platform for Social Housing critiques Czech Govt plans to institutionalize residential hotels

Prague, 4.10.2013 0:10, (ROMEA) The Platform for Social Housing has sent the Czech Regional Development Ministry (MMR) its comments and suggestions regarding the Government's draft Comprehensive Social Housing Policy (Komplexní řešení sociálního bydlení). According to the Government's Housing Concept 2020 (Koncepce bydlení do roku 2020), the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry and the MMR are supposed to produce a comprehensive policy on housing by the end of this year.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis hack e-mail and Facebook accounts of anti-racist activists and candidates

Prague, 3.10.2013 22:09, (ROMEA) Approximately 10 racist images, texts, and videos were posted today by neo-Nazis onto the Facebook profile of the Změna ("Change") movement, which is running in the parliamentary elections. The attack was just the latest in a series committed by racists against the e-mail accounts and Facebook profiles of groups and individuals who have long protested against neo-Nazism and racism in the Czech Republic.  full story

Czech elections 2013: Green Party gets number 23 for early elections, runs nine Romani candidates

Prague, 2.10.2013 17:56, (ROMEA) The political parties have been given their voting numbers. The Green Party is running nine Romani candidates and has been given the number 23 for this year's elections to the lower house.  full story

Roma Pride 2013 marches through Prague this Sunday

Prague, 2.10.2013 17:17, (ROMEA) Roma Pride 2013 will take place this Sunday, 6 October 2013 in Prague and 13 other European cities. Romani people and their friends will march through the historic center of Prague from the Old Town Square to Prague Castle.  full story

Czech Republic: Brutal assault began with words "why are you talking to a Gypsy?"

Bystřice pod Hostýnem, 1.10.2013 17:48, (ROMEA) A brutal assault was perpetrated this summer on a 45-year-old man who stood up for a friend of his in a bar in Bystřice pod Hostýnem. All three nationwide television stations (Czech Television, TV Nova and TV Prima) have reported on the incident.  full story

Analysis: Police in Ostrava intentionally failed to protect anti-racist demonstration

Prague, 1.10.2013 2:27, (ROMEA) I set out for Ostrava last Thursday and stayed there until early Saturday evening. On Thursday the 11th annual "Stop Drugs!" event for children and youth was convened by the Life Together association's community center in Hrušov, and the children there spent a pleasant afternoon of contests, dancing, games and songs, a special event in the stereotypical life of the ghetto.  full story

Analysis: Weekend surge of anti-Roma hatred in the Czech Republic part of larger cycle

Prague, 30.9.2013 17:55, (ROMEA) The "Let's Block the Marches!" (Blokujeme!) platform, of which the Konexe association is a proud member, has just made it through yet another busy weekend. Together we have stood up to demonstrations aiming to spark hatred in four towns - on Friday in Ostrava, and on Saturday (St. Wenceslas Day) in Krupka, Prague and Vítkov - suffering one defeat, one draw and two overwhelming victories.  full story

Russian Embassy in Prague surrounded by 1 000 Pussy Riot supporters

Prague, 29.9.2013 20:38, (ROMEA) Roughly 1 000 supporters of the imprisoned members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot, as well as promoters of techno music, gathered yesterday in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague for a street party under the slogan "St. Wenceslas, expel the capitalists and fascists!" According to organizers, the slogan refers to the Pussy Riot song that cost the band their imprisonment.  full story

videoCzech Republic: Three simultaneous neo-Nazi demonstrations in Krupka, Prague and Vítkov

Praha/Krupka/Vítkov, 28.9.2013 21:19, (ROMEA) Approximately 100 right-wing extremists participated in a demonstration on St. Wenceslas Day that was convened by neo-Nazis in Prague. Small groups of ultra-right radicals gathered in the lower section of Wenceslas Square before marching to the Edvard Beneš embankment of the Vltava river.  full story

videoCzech Republic: DSSS supporters attempt pogrom on Romani residents of Ostrava once more

Ostrava, 27.9.2013 22:10, (ROMEA) Supporters of the Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS) attempted yet another pogrom on Romani residents of Ostrava today shortly before 7 PM. A mob did its best to attack a residential hotel predominantly occupied by Romani tenants.  full story

Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner: We must know how many Romani pupils are taught as "lightly mentally disabled"

Prague, 27.9.2013 18:02, (ROMEA) At the start of this week, the Czech School Inspectorate called on the directors of all schools teaching five or more pupils with light mental disability in the 2013-2013 academic year (i.e., according to the Framework Educational Program for Primary Education of Pupils with Light Brain Dysfunction) to complete a questionnaire with updated information about their schools. One of the questions asks the directors to provide their professional estimate of the number of Romani pupils in each class.  full story

Romani candidate for Czech Social Democrats: Politicians must have the courage to condemn racist demonstrations

Prague, 27.9.2013 17:05, (ROMEA) The Czech daily Hospodářské noviny has interviewed David Beňák, a Romani man actively involved in ethnic issues whom the Prague cell of the Czech Social Democrats (ČSSD) has placed as number 9 on their candidate list for the lower house. The 34-year-old social worker says political courage is lacking in the current atmosphere in the Czech Republic.  full story

Patrik Banga: Counting Romani children in the schools? Yes!

Prague, 27.9.2013 1:07, (ROMEA) The Czech School Inspectorate has asked school directors to count the number of Romani pupils with light mental disability in their schools. The Czech Education Ministry needs this data in order to demonstrate to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg that the number of Romani children ending up with the "light mental disability" label because of prejudice has been decreasing in the Czech Republic.  full story

Czech Gov't Agency for Social Inclusion finds Předlice residents have almost no chance of better housing

Ústí nad Labem, 26.9.2013 23:42, (ROMEA) Předlice, the municipal department of Ústí nad Labem primarily known to the public because of its derelict buildings that threaten the lives of their tenants and its problems with owners not repairing them has become the subject of a study published today by the Czech Government Agency for Social Inclusion. The research investigated how local institutions are involved in addressing the situation there and makes recommendations to the municipal department, the town hall and other public administration units on how to proceed in similar cases.  full story

Lukáš Houdek: When Romani people don't speak "gypsy" right

Prague, 26.9.2013 22:44, (ROMEA) Here it is! Romani people causing problems once more!  full story

David Beňák: Affordable housing policy would eliminate need for special welfare

Prague, 25.9.2013 17:55, (ROMEA) The general affordability of housing in the Czech Republic varies widely. There are also many problems on the housing market, including discrimination.  full story

Czech Republic: Non-Romani parents don't want their children in school with Romani ones

Prague, 23.9.2013 23:08, (ROMEA) The new school year only began a few weeks ago in the Czech Republic, but in some places non-Romani parents are quickly changing the schools their first-graders are attending. The parents are bothered by what they view as high numbers of Romani children also attending the schools and believe their presence is holding all of the pupils back.  full story

Czech School Inspectorate wants to count Romani pupils at "special" schools

Prague, 23.9.2013 21:22, (ROMEA) The Czech School Inspectorate wants to once again count the number of Romani pupils attending the "practical primary schools" (previously called "special" schools). According to the Association of Special Educators (Asociace speciálních pedagogů - ASP), however, that is neither permitted nor possible.  full story