Czech Republic

Czech Republic: Projectiles fired at Romani people at the Máj housing estate

České Budějovice, 7.8.2013 22:52, (ROMEA) Last Saturday evening at the Máj housing estate in České Budějovice, someone used either a popgun or a slingshot to fire projectiles at a small group of Romani people. Fortunately, no one was physically injured.  full story

Commentary: Are Czech academics and politicians giving cover to neo-Nazis?

Prague, 7.8.2013 15:44, (ROMEA) Prior to this past weekend's neo-Nazi demonstration in Vítkov, sociologist Jan Keller participated in a press briefing convened by the Moravian-Silesian Regional Police on the issue. His controversial comments there have prompted a great deal of response (video of the briefing, in Czech only, is available at http://www.romea.cz/cz/zpravodajstvi/martin-fafejta-dava-jan-keller-kryti-ceskym-nackum-a-kryji-je-cesti-politici).  full story

Czech Republic: Director of Lidice Memorial rejects criticism from relatives of Lety victims

Prague, 6.8.2013 22:30, (ROMEA) The relatives of the victims of the Romani Holocaust and several other Romani organizations believe the Lidice Memorial is not administering the remembrance site at Lety by Písek in an appropriate, sensitive way. They are bothered by the online presentation of the memorial and the information placards at the site of the former Nazi concentration camp for Romani people, none of which mentions the ongoing presence of a pig farm at the site.  full story

Statement on management of the Lety memorial from Committee for the Redress of the Roma Holocaust

Prague, 6.8.2013 20:39, (ROMEA) The relatives of the Romani victims of the Holocaust and several Romani organizations have issued a statement expressing their opinion that the Lidice Memorial (Památník Lidice) is not administering the remembrance site at Lety by Písek in an appropriate, sensitive manner. News server Romea.cz publishes the statement here in full translation.  full story

videoCzech Republic: Police detain three people, confiscate 22 weapons during neo-Nazi event in Vítkov

Vítkov, 3.8.2013 22:42, (ROMEA) Speaking to journalists after today's anti-Romani march was over, Tomáš Kužel, director of the Moravian-Silesian Regional Police, told journalists that during today's demonstration in Vítkov (Opava district) police officers detained three people and confiscated 22 weapons, but there were no clashes of a more serious nature. About 200 people attended the right-wing extremist assembly, but not all of them participated in the march. Around 200 police officers supervised public order during the event.  full story

Open letter from expatriate Roma in England and international organizations to the Government of the Czech Republic

London, 3.8.2013 21:35, (ROMEA) On the occasion of the International Day of the Roma Holocaust, Romani associations and initiatives based in England and elsewhere have sent the following letter to the Government of the Czech Republic in response to growing anti-Romani sentiment there. News server Romea.cz publishes the letter in full translation below:  full story

videoCzech Republic: 200 people at neo-Nazi assembly in Vítkov, minimal police intervention needed

Vítkov, 3.8.2013 20:25, (ROMEA) The 6 000-strong town of Vítkov (Opava district) has experienced only two of the three assemblies that had been announced as taking place there today. Neo-Nazis came to the town and marched through its streets, including past the site of one of the worst racist attacks in the Czech Republic ever.  full story

Czech Republic: Blokujeme! platform says it is blocking racist ideas, not people

Vítkov, 3.8.2013 18:44, (ROMEA) The Blokujeme! platform has issued the following press release:  full story

Czech Republic: Religious service against hatred in Prague 3 August

Prague, 3.8.2013 1:23, (ROMEA) On Saturday 3 August at 19:30 in the Saint Martin in the Wall Church (Martinská 8) in Prague there will be a religious service in support of the people in Vítkov and everywhere else in the Czech Republic who are suffering from increasing intolerance and racism. The service will be led by Magdaléna Šipková, a student of the Protestant Theological Faculty, Charles University.  full story

Czech Republic: Non-Roma and Roma from Ostrava express solidarity but will not go to Vítkov tomorrow

Ostrava, 2.8.2013 23:57, (ROMEA) A group of non-Roma and Roma from Ostrava has issued a press release expressing their solidarity with the Romani community in Vítkov and their support for coexistence there, but have decided not to attend the protest events against the neo-Nazis that are scheduled to take place there tomorrow (Saturday 3 August). "We want to prevent conflicts and incidents. We will not play the radicals' game, and therefore we will not participate in their actions in Vítkov," the press release reads. News server Romea.cz publishes it in full translation below.  full story

Amnesty International and ERRC call on Czech Government to protect Romani people

Budapest/Prague, 2.8.2013 23:07, (ROMEA) Human rights organizations Amnesty International (AI) and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) have called on the Czech Republic to protect Romani people from terror and violence. The organizations published their joint declaration in response to the planned anti-Romani demonstrations that await the Czech Republic in the coming days.  full story

Czech town of Vítkov readies for neo-Nazi assembly and events opposing it

Vítkov, 2.8.2013 22:22, (ROMEA) Municipal leaders and police in the 6 000-strong town of Vítkov (Opava district) are preparing for three assemblies scheduled to take place there on Saturday, 3 August. According to online sources, the police, and the Vítkov town hall, neo-Nazis are planning to march in the town, the Equal Opportunities Party (Strana rovných příležitostí - SRP), which defends the interests of the socially vulnerable, is planning a street meeting there, and the "Let's Block the Marches!" (Blokujeme!) platform has planned an assembly that has been announced by activists from the Konexe organization.  full story

Czech Republic: Protect Roma at risk of violence ahead of far-right demonstration

Budapest/Prague, 2.8.2013 17:50, (ROMEA) Czech authorities must protect Roma communities from violence and intimidation, Amnesty International and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) said ahead of planned anti-Roma demonstrations across the country.  full story

Czech PM Rusnok honors Romani genocide victims at Lety, says he needs to review UN recommendations about pig farm

Lety u Písku, 2.8.2013 1:49, (ROMEA) Czech Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok and several ministers of his cabinet have paid their respects to the Romani victims of the Holocaust at Lety by Písek. On 1 August 1942, exactly 71 years ago, a concentration camp for Romani people was established there.  full story

Czech Govt working group led by Human Rights Commissioner introduces proposals for addressing social unrest

Prague, 2.8.2013 0:45, (ROMEA) A Czech Government working group to address social unrest was convened by the Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner on 1 August. Due to the seriousness of the situation the meeting was attended by Czech PM Jiří Rusnok and Interior Minister Martin Pecina.  full story

Czech Labor Office calls spam e-mail about Romani people "lies and nonsense"

Prague, 1.8.2013 23:10, (ROMEA) Yet another dishonest e-mail is spreading online in which alleged author Jiří Máška describes how Romani people are reportedly "getting rich" by drawing welfare. The hoax e-mail has also been sent more than once to the e-mail address of news server Romea.cz.  full story

Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner to meet with PM, Interior Minister about social unrest

Prague, 31.7.2013 23:04, (ROMEA) On Thursday, 1 August at 13:00 there will be a meeting of a working group to address the social unrest in the country at the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic. Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Monika Šimůnková has called the meeting on the basis of information she has received from the field through the Czech Government Agency for Social Inclusion.  full story

Czech intelligence service: Ordinary citizens' anti-Romani sentiments more dangerous than right-wing extremists

Prague, 30.7.2013 20:09, (ROMEA) The Czech Republic's Security Information Service (Bezpečnostní informační služba - BIS) has released its quarterly report on developments in the extremist scene on its website. The report says anti-Romani sentiment among a segment of the public could pose a greater problem for state security than small groups of right-wing extremists do.  full story

Czech Republic: Let's Block the Marches (Blokujeme!) platform wants to stop anti-Romani marches

Prague, 30.7.2013 15:33, (ROMEA) Individuals and organizations are demanding that the Government of the Czech Republic, municipal representatives, and other politicians commit themselves to stopping the anti-Romani marches now being regularly organized by neo-Nazis throughout the entire country. Signatories to the declaration are also turning to civil society to stop the marches as well.  full story

Czech Republic: Residents of Plzeň complaining about members of the Romani minority

Plzeň, 30.7.2013 2:58, (ROMEA) In Plzeň complaints regarding coexistence are being registered about some members of the Romani minority. The Czech News Agency says the complaints concern the courtyard inside Plachého and Korandova streets, which is the town's only socially excluded locality.  full story