Czech Republic

Czech Republic: 1 500 people attend anti-Roma hate marches in eight towns

Prague, 25.8.2013 3:10, (ROMEA) Roughly 1 500 people attended hateful anti-Roma demonstrations and marches in eight towns across the Czech Republic on 24 August. The most dramatic situation was in Ostrava, where hundreds of neo-Nazis attempted a pogrom against Romani residents.  full story

Czech Republic: Hundreds of rampaging neo-Nazis attempt pogrom against Romani people in Ostrava

Ostrava, 25.8.2013 0:29, (ROMEA) An anti-Roma march by neo-Nazis attended by between 600 - 800 people ended in clashes with police today in Ostrava. Police arrested more than 60 people and both neo-Nazis and police officers were injured.  full story

Czech Republic: Real time coverage online of more than five simultaneous anti-Roma hate marches

Prague, 24.8.2013 21:07, (ROMEA) Neo-Nazis announced hate marches against Romani people in five towns across the Czech Republic for Saturday, 24 August 2013: České Budějovice, Duchcov, Jičín, Ostrava and Plzeň. News server Romea.cz followed the situation on-line, beginning with the afternoon of Friday, 23 August 2013.  full story

Czech Republic: Racists attack Romani people in Smržovka

Smržovka, 24.8.2013 0:57, (ROMEA) Regional police spokesperson Ivana Baláková has informed the Czech News Agency that detectives are investigating an attack by racists in the town of Smržovka (Jablonec district) where a piece of plaster was allegedly thrown into the window of a Romani family's home while racist slogans were shouted. Police know the names of the assailants, who are said to be football hooligans, and detectives suspect them of supporting and promoting movements aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms, as well as of rioting.  full story

Czech Republic: Police preparing for five anti-Roma marches organized by neo-Nazis tomorrow around the country

Prague, 23.8.2013 21:54, (ROMEA) Police are intensively preparing for anti-Roma marches that have been announced by right-wing extremists for Saturday, 24 August in five towns around the Czech Republic so far. Police Presidium spokesperson has Ivana Ježková published a list of the demonstration locations on the presidium website.  full story

Bishop Lobkowicz: Each of us should clearly say NO to all manifestations of racism

Ostrava, 23.8.2013 0:14, (ROMEA) The Bishop of the Ostrava-Opava Diocese, Mons. František Václav Lobkowicz, has issued a declaration regarding the assembly in Ostrava this coming Saturday, 24 August 2013. The declaration is the bishop's response to the growing tension in society between members of the majority society and the Romani minority. News server Romea.cz publishes the declaration in full translation:  full story

Czech Republic: Moravian-Silesian Police plan extensive monitoring for Saturday's demonstrations

Ostrava, 22.8.2013 17:58, (ROMEA) The Moravian-Silesian Regional Police are planning to monitor people and vehicles this coming Saturday when demonstrations by right-wing radicals and Romani residents are planned to take place in Ostrava. Officers are counting on monitoring people not only on the territory of the town, but also in selected places along the various access roads into Ostrava.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis assault Roma with rocks, shouting "Today you die, the ovens are fired up"

Děčín, 22.8.2013 0:25, (ROMEA) The Czech town of Děčín experienced its first large-scale attack on Romani residents by a group of neo-Nazis earlier this week. Several of the assailants reportedly were tatooed with swastikas and other Nazi symbols and are said to have shouted racist slogans full of hatred while throwing glass bottles and rocks at a Romani-occupied building.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis will ignore ban on Saturday's march in Ostrava, resistance to them is rising

Ostrava, 21.8.2013 2:54, (ROMEA) Neo-Nazis planned an assembly and march for Saturday, 24 August in the Czech town of Ostrava only to see it banned by local authorities. According to information being spread by the right-wing extremists on social networking sites, however, they intend to go ahead with their provocation there nonetheless.  full story

Czech Republic: Director of the Lidice Memorial stands by his remarks about "inadaptable" Roma

Prague, 21.8.2013 2:07, (ROMEA) Several human rights associations and Romani organizations have recently complained to the Czech Culture Ministry about the head of the Lidice Memorial, the body also in charge of the monument to the victims of the Roma Holocaust at Lety by Písek. The civil society groups say director Milouš Červencl has made light of recent manifestations of racism and has incited hatred against Roma.  full story

Czech Republic: Locals will stand up to the neo-Nazis in Plzeň this coming Saturday

Plzeň, 20.8.2013 15:46, (ROMEA) A neo-Nazi march is scheduled to pass through the center of the Czech town of Plzeň on Saturday, 24 August 2013. Ultra-right extremists have announced anti-Romani marches in a total of five regions of the Czech Republic on that same day.  full story

Czech Republic: NGOs call for dismissal after director of Lidice Memorial collectively blames Roma as "inadaptables"

Kladno, 20.8.2013 0:26, (ROMEA) Individuals and NGOs defending human rights, the integration of the Romani community, and the memory of the Romani victims of the Holocaust have turned to Deputy Culture Minister Anna Matoušková with a complaint regarding the director of the Lidice Memorial, Milouš Červencl, who is also responsible for the memorial to the Roma Holocaust at Lety by Písek. Their complaint is that Červencl has collectively blamed all Romani people as "inadaptables" and has made other inappropriate remarks as well.  full story

videoCzech Republic: Neo-Nazi anti-Roma event in Duchcov a debacle

Duchcov, 17.8.2013 21:51, (ROMEA) Approximately 40 neo-Nazis gathered today in the Czech town of Duchcov for an anti-Roma assembly there. Shortly after 15:00, those participating set out from the train station down Husova Street in the direction of Republika Square.  full story

Czech Republic: Ostrava town hall bans one neo-Nazi march, another will go forward

Ostrava, 16.8.2013 21:50, (ROMEA) The Municipal Department of Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz has banned an assembly and march planned for Saturday, 24 August by neo-Nazis because an assembly of Romani people was previously announced for the same places at the same time. Municipal department spokesperson Jana Pondělíčková informed the Czech News Agency of the decision today.Another assembly by right-wing radicals will evidently go forward in Ostrava on that same day, as it was announced for different locations than the Romani march.  full story

Czech Republic: Residential hotels in Příbram fail inspection, are a "time bomb"

Příbram, 14.8.2013 17:49, (ROMEA) The residential hotels in the Czech town of Příbram have become a topic for public discussion there. They are run by the Stavus firm, which is providing shelter to roughly 500 people in the facilities.  full story

Czech Republic: Yet another person commits self-harm, tells police a "dark-skinned male" did it

České Budějovice, 14.8.2013 17:21, (ROMEA) Detectives in České Budějovice have quickly solved yet another case of an alleged hold-up in which the assailant was said to have been a "dark-skinned male". The story was invented by a 30-year-old man trying to resolve his personal problems through the fabricated incident.  full story

Exhibition of Czech-Roma flags on embankment in Prague targeted with graffiti

Prague, 13.8.2013 21:27, (ROMEA) Some time during the late night hours of 11 August and the early morning hours of 12 August, the exhibition entitled "Selection Procedure for Czech-Roma Flag" in the outdoor space of the Artwall gallery was damaged. The project, by Slovak artist Tomáš Rafa, presents seven designs for a Czech-Roma flag. It is his critical response to the fact that Romani people are not considered Czech by the majority society and therefore find themselves in forced isolation in the Czech Republic  full story

Analysis: Two towns in one - where is Duchcov heading?

Duchcov, 13.8.2013 0:19, (ROMEA) The town of Duchcov in the Czech Republic today is running as if it were two separate municipalities with different administrations. The northern, wealthier section is well-financed from public resources, with well-maintained buildings, services and shops, a new sports field, and publicly subsidized activities for adults, children, and youth. Most of the practical resolutions adopted by the municipal council focus on that part of town.  full story

Czech Police Inspector-General doesn't know who released video of assault in Duchcov, but DSSS seems to

Prague, 10.8.2013 2:09, (ROMEA) According to a report published by news server iDNES.cz, the Inspector-General of the Security Forces has shelved its investigation into the release of a video capturing an assault committed by several Romani people against a non-Romani married couple in the town of Duchcov earlier this year. Police say they did not succeed in determining who was behind the release of the footage to the media.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis repeatedly assault Romani social worker in Duchcov

Duchcov, 10.8.2013 1:22, (ROMEA) Jan Dufek and Jindřich "Pinďa" Svoboda, two antigypsyists known for having said they want Romani people to be murdered off, have been targeting Štefan Horvát of Duchcov, who works for the Květina (Flower) civic association as a field social worker. Horvát says these men have been the protagonists in two incidents of both physical and verbal assault against him.  full story