Czech Republic

Czech Republic: Gypsy Spirit 2013 jury announces finalists

Prague, 8.11.2013 0:13, (ROMEA) On 1 November 2013, out of 87 nominations for the Gypsy Spirit award in the Czech Republic, finalists were selected by the nominating jury, comprised of members Jozef Baláž, Darina Batyiová, Jiřina Bradová, Jana Horváthová, Gabriela Hrabaňová, Magdaléna Karvayová, Renata Köttnerová, Petr Polák, Jelena Silajdžić, Andrea Šenkyříková and David Tišer. The nominating jury evaluated the proposals according to the following criteria:  full story

Czech intelligence service warns political parties may adopt extremist opinions

Prague, 7.11.2013 17:50, (ROMEA) In its annual report released today on its website, the Czech Security Information Service (Bezpečnostní informační služba - BIS) warns that standard political parties in the country may start taking up extremist opinions, especially at municipal level. BIS says that while the extremists themselves are becoming attenuated, political parties might exploit their opinions in order to earn the votes of people who are dissatisfied and frustrated, for example, because of the economic crisis.  full story

Czech tabloid seizes on critique of tv show view of Roma to stir up trouble

Prague, 6.11.2013 21:51, (ROMEA) Director Filip Renč has allegedly begun responding with vulgar abuse to the rising criticism of his depictions of Romani people in the television serial "Sanitka 2" as completely racist and unrealistic. Attorney Klára Samková referred to Renč as an "idiot" in a post to her Facebook profile discussing the serial, and according to the editor of a Czech tabloid, Renč then called Samková a "gypsy cow".  full story

Czech director defends his depiction of Romani people in tv serial

Prague, 6.11.2013 0:17, (ROMEA) Lukáš Senft, a documentary filmmaker and student at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague has written an open letter to the creators of the television serial "Sanitka 2", screenwriter Ivan Hubač and director Filip Renč. In his letter, which was also published by news server Romea.cz, Senft takes the serial's creators to task for lying about Romani people and depicting them as a bloodthirsty, dangerous, foreign and incomprehensible minority.  full story

Open letter to the writers of the Czech television serial "Sanitka 2"

Prague, 5.11.2013 17:04, (ROMEA) Mr Hubač, Mr Renč,  full story

Czech activist and journalist Emil Szirmai has passed away

Prague, 5.11.2013 16:23, (ROMEA) Emil Szirmai has passed away. Many people knew him better than I did. His colleagues and friends of many years can write about what he worked on his whole life, what his interests were. For my part I can say that Emil was intensively involved, for more than 10 years, in questions of equality and justice for national minorities. In connection with Romani people he developed and worked on activities both in nonprofit organizations and in state institutions that were sometimes just amazing.  full story

Czech Interior Ministry wants residential hotels as fixture of housing policy

Prague, 4.11.2013 22:42, (ROMEA) The Czech Government has been discussing a document from the Interior Ministry proposing that police specialists be hired to work in the country's ghettos. The officers involved would spend as much as half of their work hours patrolling such areas.  full story

Czech Anti-Fascist Action writes open letter to the ultra-right

Prague, 2.11.2013 19:04, (ROMEA) On 25 October, the website for Anti-Fascist Action in the Czech Republic, Antifa.cz, reported that the group sent an open letter in the run-up to the recent parliamentary elections to members of the ultra-right DSSS party as part of Anti-Fascist Action's ongoing campaign against antigypsyism. News server Romea.cz presents the introduction to the open letter from the website below, as well as the letter itself in full translation.  full story

Czech Republic: Locals confirm conditions in Obrnice have improved

Obrnice, 1.11.2013 16:49, (ROMEA) Several residents of the town of Obrnice (Most district) are confirming that coexistence between the majority society and Romani people has improved over the past few years. Mayor of Obrnice Drahomíra Miklošová received an award from the Council of Europe on Wednesday for the town's results in Romani integration.  full story

EUobserver.com: Neo-Nazis mobilise against minorities in Czech Republic

Prague, 1.11.2013 10:21, (ROMEA) Ultra-right parties and their neo-Nazi supporters have unleashed an unprecedented level of coordinated anti-Roma demonstrations throughout the Czech Republic this year, aiming to tip the balance at the polls and increase their access to power in the country’s upcoming elections.  full story

Ivanka Mariposa Čonková: Victory over racism, or, How the neo-Nazis lost face in Ostrava

Ostrava, 31.10.2013 19:21, (ROMEA) The 28th of October this year happened in a spirit similar to that of 24 August, when several towns in the Czech Republic simultaneously faced open displays of antigypsyism, neo-Nazism and racism in the form of marches that transformed into attempted pogroms against Romani people. This past Monday, the towns concerned were České Budějovice, Ostrava, and Plzeň.  full story

Czech town of Obrnice receives award in Strasbourg for Romani integration projects

Strasbourg, France, 31.10.2013 17:48, (ROMEA) The Mayor of Obrnice, Drahomíra Miklošová, has been awarded a prize in Strasbourg. The award is given by the Council of Europe as part of its "Dosta!" ("Enough!") campaign for an innovative municipal project that either combats discrimination against Romani people, raises awareness about Romani culture and rights, or supports Romani integration (see http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/romatravellers/dosta_en.asp).  full story

Czech Republic: UIA conference supports Roma in Ostrava

Prague, 30.10.2013 0:55, (ROMEA) United for Intercultural Action (UIA) is a European network against fascism, nationalism and racism that supports migrants and refugees and brings together more than 560 organizations in 46 European countries. The organization is currently holding its international conference in the Czech Republic, which is scheduled to end on 30 October.  full story

Analysis: Why Czech ultra-right voters chose Okamura, not the DSSS

Prague, 30.10.2013 0:20, (ROMEA) Czech Senator Tomio Okamura and his "Dawn of Direct Democracy" (Úsvit přímé demokracie) party won a surprising 6.88 % of the recent vote for the lower house. The party's extreme opinions border on fascism and it is evidently no accident that its name is very similar to that of the Greek right-wing extremist party Golden Dawn.  full story

Czech Republic: Gypsy Spirit prize being revived by private foundations

Prague, 29.10.2013 22:35, (ROMEA) After a three-year hiatus, the Gypsy Spirit prize will be awarded once more for contributions to Romani integration in the Czech Republic. The award, which former Czech Human Rights and Minorities Minister Michael Kocáb modeled on one in Slovakia, will be revived by Mr Kocáb's foundation together with the Open Society (Otevřená společnost) organization.  full story

Did the Czech President invite an anti-Semitic extremist to Prague Castle?

Prague, 29.10.2013 21:32, (ROMEA) Adam B. Bartoš, a political commentator known for his anti-Semitic, extremist opinions, seems to have been one of the official guests invited to yesterday's ceremony awarding state honors at Prague Castle. The Office of the Czech President has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the circumstances of his attendance.  full story

Czech election results in Romani neighborhoods

Prague, 28.10.2013 22:48, (ROMEA) The polls have closed, the votes for the various parties have been counted, and the media are analyzing who might form the next government of the Czech Republic with whom. Let's look at how votes were cast in places where a large majority of Romani people live, as well as in the places where neo-Nazis and racists held their marches this past summer.
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Czech Republic: 50 anti-minority racists march in Plzeň, 60 Roma stand up to them

Plzeň, 28.10.2013 21:47, (ROMEA) Several dozen racists protesting against minorities and multicultural society marched through the Bory neighborhood of Plzeň on the afternoon of 28 October. The march, which was called a "Protest against violating the rights of decent citizens of the Czech Republic and privileging one group", was originally predicted to be attended by as many as 300 people, but in the end only about 50 turned up.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis attempt pogrom in Ostrava, 500 Roma march against them

Ostrava, 28.10.2013 21:25, (ROMEA) Approximately 200 - 300 neo-Nazis gathered today at 14:00 for an anti-Romani, racist demonstration on Prokešovo Square in Ostrava. Two separate gatherings were convened against racism by the "Let's Block the Marches!" (Blokujeme!) platform, one on nearby Sokolská Street in front of a residential hotel called "Colorful Ostrava" (Barevná Ostrava), and another on Svatopluk Čech Square.  full story

Czech President: More police needed in areas of conflict

Chomutov, 27.10.2013 18:06, (ROMEA) Speaking on Friday during a discussion with local residents in the town of Chomutov, Czech President Miloš Zeman said increasing the number of police officers could be a solution to situations in regions of conflict where non-Romani people are complaining about their co-existence with the Romani minority. Chomutov locals have complained primarily about problems with crime in some parts of town and in nearby Jirkov.  full story