News

Czech Republic: Number of socially excluded localities growing

Prague, 5.2.2015 15:31, (ROMEA) In the Czech Republic the number of ghettos and the number of needy people living in them is gradually rising. During the past four years there have been no significant improvements to employment, housing or security in these impoverished localities and their surrounding neighborhoods.  full story

Will Czech documentary about Romani activist unite, or divide?

Prague, 4.2.2015 19:59, (ROMEA) Ivo Bystřičan's documentary film "Opre Roma" sparked passionate discussion before it was even aired. There is no doubt that Romani activist Ivana Čonková, the film's central focus, is a prominent figure who has recently drawn a great deal of attention.  full story

Czech Republic's strategic interest is in European stability and support for democracy

Prague, 4.2.2015 18:30, (ROMEA) The security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area, coping with and preventing regional conflicts and ameliorating their repercussions, and strengthening the cohesion and effectiveness of the European Union and NATO are some of the strategic interests of the Czech Republic included in the country's updated security strategy for 2015. The material will be discussed by the Czech Government today and the Czech News Agency has seen a copy of it.  full story

Commentary: Russian propaganda claims both "Jews" and "Nazis" now rule Ukraine

Prague, 4.2.2015 2:01, (ROMEA) Every kind of propaganda involves various absurdities, and the current propaganda in favor of Russia, as well as the propaganda coming straight from Russia, is no exception. The greatest paradoxes come from the generalizations this propaganda involves.  full story

Czech Republic only accepting Christian refugees from Syria

Prague, 4.2.2015 0:58, (ROMEA) Mayor Jana Syslová of Červený Újezd (Teplice district) says she has a problem. Pavel Fousek, the owner of a camp facility previously used to house refugees, is now accommodating socially vulnerable people, including ex-convicts and Romani people, on his property.  full story

Czech nonprofit recording studio to combat social exclusion of young Roma

Brno, 4.2.2015 0:05, (ROMEA) A former casino on Milada Horáková Street in Brno is becoming a place for the motivation and support of artistically gifted young Romani people. Young, engaged Roma are building a multimedia recording studio that will function as a nonprofit in collaboration with the NGO IQ Roma servis, the Faculty of Social Sciences of Masaryk University, and the Brno-střed Municipal Department.  full story

Czech center for crime victims decorates new branch with children's pictures from Lidice Memorial

Kladno/Prague, 3.2.2015 21:53, (ROMEA) The In IUSTITIA public benefit corporation has opened up a branch of its Justýna counseling center in the town of Kladno, where staff will provide legal and social advice to crime victims on Mondays and Thursdays. The spaces have been refurbished with pictures from the International Children's Exhibition of Fine Arts on loan from the nearby Lidice Memorial.  full story

Disabled people protest Czech President's claims that inclusion is harmful

Krásná Lípa (Děčín district), 3.2.2015 21:13, (ROMEA) During Czech President Miloš Zeman's visit to the town of Krásná Lípa (Děčín district) today, approximately 30 persons living with disabilities from around the Šluknov foothills area protested his remarks about the inappropriateness of educating disabled and non-disabled children together. The protesters wanted to discuss the remarks, made three weeks ago, with the head of state.  full story

Romea.cz: Media watchdogs are not censors - here's the proof!

Prague, 3.2.2015 20:01, (ROMEA) One of news server Romea.cz's activities is monitoring the media, fact-checking the correctness and veracity of the information journalists use, and then attempting to get misleading, tendentious or untrue information corrected. We play this watchdog role not only with respect to the media, but also with respect to municipal or state officials and politicians, etc.  full story

Commentary: Czech Police biased against anti-racist demonstrators

Prague, 2.2.2015 20:43, (ROMEA) Are you an Islamophobe? If you are, then apparently you can take scissors to the t-shirt you got during the last World Cup in football or hockey, cut out the state symbol of the Czech Republic, take needle and thread and sew it onto the state flag of the Czech Republic.  full story

Czech NGO says repeat elections involved vote-buying again, but on a smaller scale

Bílina/Chomutov, 2.2.2015 19:49, (ROMEA) Even though police claim they have not noted any cases of vote-buying during the repeat elections in the municipalities of Bílina and Chomutov (Ústí nad Labem region) this past weekend, nonprofit organizations monitoring the situation say they reported possible cases of vote-selling to police more than once. Nevertheless, Janusz Konieczny of the Anticorruption Endowment has evaluated the situation as much more positive compared to the fall municipal elections.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani caretakers to supervise building safety in Zlín Region

Zlín Region, 2.2.2015 18:56, (ROMEA) The Zlín Regional Administration has approved a subsidy to the ARGO civic association for the sixth time for the provision of Romani caretakers in selected localities. The Romani localities in the towns of Holešov, Kroměříž, Uherský Brod and Zlín will each receive a Romani caretaker.  full story

EU anti-terrorism coordinator: Countries should help internet firms filter racist posts

Brussels, 1.2.2015 2:21, (ROMEA) The YouTube online video-sharing platform is so overwhelmed that it is impossible to filter all of the terrorism-related recordings posted to it. The Associated Press reports that Verity Harding, a spokesperson for the Google company, which operates YouTube, made that claim before MEPs from the liberal ALDE faction of the EP last Wednesday.  full story

Czech Police propose prosecution of vote-buying at Romani event

Chomutov, 31.1.2015 23:20, (ROMEA) The Czech Police have completed their investigation of alleged vote-buying during last fall's municipal elections in Chomutov. Police have proposed the prosecution of a 45-year-old local man for interfering with the preparations for and course of an election.  full story

Czech Police detain clergyman and Romani activist for using Czech-Romani flag to counter-protest xenophobic demo

Prague, 31.1.2015 19:29, (ROMEA) Police estimate that approximately 500 people gathered today at noon on the Old Town Square in Prague for a demonstration against Islam in the Czech Republic. Czech MP Tomio Okamura, chair of the "Dawn of Direct Democracy" movement (Úsvit) and Jana Volfová, head of the Czech Sovereignty (CS) movement addressed protesters, after which they marched to the Czech Interior Ministry.  full story

Czech Republic: Romea.cz survey on Romani people and Islam

Prague, 31.1.2015 1:59, (ROMEA) After the attacks on the editorial offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris, Muslims are becoming more and more a target for intolerance and racism in the Czech Republic, a position long occupied by Romani people. How do Romani people in the Czech Republic experience coexistence with Muslims and what is their relationship toward Islam?  full story

Bulgaria: Attacks on ambulance crews launch new discussion about Romani integration

Prague/Sofia, 31.1.2015 0:15, (ROMEA) According to the Bulgarian Government, last year there were 227 attacks on ambulance crews, 175 of them perpetrated by Romani people. Ambulance crews there are said to fear driving to areas where Romani people live.  full story

Czech Republic: Two demos tomorrow, one against "Islamic immigration" and one against xenophobia

Prague, 30.1.2015 22:40, (ROMEA) Yet another demonstration against Islam is planned for tomorrow at noon on the Old Town Square in Prague. This one is being called the "Demonstration and March against Islamization and Islamic Immigration".  full story

Czech Republic: Sellers of plaques from Terezín convicted

30.1.2015 2:48, (ROMEA) The District Court in Litoměřice has sentenced two men to suspended sentences of between 10 and 12 months and one man to a year in prison without the possibility of parole for selling bronze plaques with the names of victims from the National Cemetery at Terezín to a scrap metal dealer. The court did not find the men guilty of having stolen the plaques.  full story

videoCzech Police called to scene of commemoration of Romani Holocaust victims

Terezín, 30.1.2015 2:04, (ROMEA) Organizers of Tuesday's commemoration of the memory of the Romani victims of the Holocaust at the National Cemetery in Terezín called police for assistance after Petr Žák, a member of the board of the "NO to Brussels - National Democracy" party, which closely collaborates with right-wing extremists from the DSSS party, began photographing those in attendance. Žák has been involved in anti-Romani demonstrations in Děčín and Rumburk but claimed he was there to honor the memory of the Romani victims.  full story