Czech Republic

videoCzech hockey club apologizes to Canadian player for fans' racism

Chomutov, 29.10.2012 16:56, (ROMEA) The management of the Chomutov Pirates Czech Extraliga hockey team (Piráti Chomutov) has publicly apologized to Wayne Simmonds, a forward for the Liberec hockey team, for the racist insults aimed at him by several Pirates fans during yesterday's game. Simmonds, a Black Canadian, became the target of the insults toward the end of the game, which Chomutov won 3:2 in overtime.  full story

Commentary: Romani people who won't take a look at themselves harm everyone

Prague, 27.10.2012 21:00, (ROMEA/Romano hangos) During discussions on the website of the Romea news server (www.romea.cz), the debates between pro-Romani and Romani activists have often returned on various occasions to the topic of legitimacy - who can and should "speak on behalf of Romani people" or "represent Romani people" in the Czech Republic? The Editor-in-Chief of the Romano hangos periodical, Pavel Pečínka, has reached out to a circle of his regular contributors with questions that can all be summarized under the basic question of: Who can speak "for Romani people"? News server Romea.cz is gradually publishing the responses submitted to him by selected authors. Below is the translation of the response submitted by iDNES.cz editor Patrik Banga.  full story

Czech town councilors to decide fate of Romani residents

Přerov, 23.10.2012 22:07, (ROMEA) The leadership of the Přerov town hall is leaving the fate of the Romani locality on Škodova street up to local councilors to decide. The town's political leadership says they will demand that Přerov back out of a sales contract with the owner of properties in the locality because the conditions of the sale were not met. Town councilors should decide whether the Romani residents still remaining in the half-ruined buildings should be awarded municipally-owned apartments even though they are not the next in line for them and other applicants have been waiting a longer time. The town council will convene at the start of November.  full story