Czech Republic

ROMEA association's open letter to the non-extremist anti-Romani demonstrators in the Czech Republic

Prague, 9.7.2013 21:51, (ROMEA) The people working at the ROMEA civic association have decided to reach out to those who have participated in the recent anti-Roma demonstrations and who are not extremists. The association hopes to start a dialogue with at least some of you, which might lead to specific proposals for solutions and therefore to greater calm in our coexistence.  full story

Analysis: Street violence committed by "ordinary people" with right-wing extremists bothers Czech public

České Budějovice/Prague, 9.7.2013 20:27, (ROMEA) The street violence sparked by right-wing extremists recently in the towns of Duchov and now twice in České Budějovice is starting to bother more people besides members of the Romani community and their supporters. The recent violence in České Budějovice followed a pattern similar to that of other towns, where any excuse has been enough to kick off crusades through the streets.  full story

Czech Govt Agency for Social Inclusion Director: Many towns risk anti-Roma unrest

Prague, 9.7.2013 4:45, (ROMEA) Martin Šimáček, the director of the Czech Government Agency for Social Inclusion, has answered questions in an interview for the online daily TÝDEN.CZ about recent events in České Budějovice. As TÝDEN.CZ reports, Šimáček believes these events represent a new type of racist aggression that does not target a "ghetto" and is participated in by many who do not consider themselves extremists. He also said he believes Mayor Juraj Thoma's idea to hold an upcoming public discussion of local issues in a sports arena is not a good one.  full story

South Bohemian Regional Romani Coordinator: We want good coexistence at the Máj housing estate

České Budějovice, 8.7.2013 17:21, (ROMEA) The demonstration on 29 June during which neo-Nazis and other extremists committed so much violence was faced by local Romani residents with a counter-action during which they called on their neighbors to work with them on resolving problems. Local Romani residents have a low opinion of those who committed the violence, but how surprising was it for them that their non-Romani neighbors were demonstrating against Roma as well?  full story

Former Czech Interior Ministers debate neo-Nazi activity

Prague, 8.7.2013 5:10, (ROMEA) Former Czech Interior Minister Martin Pecina, now a candidate for interior minister in the caretaker government of incoming Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok, wants to increase the number of police officers in the country and their salaries. He would like to augment police forces particularly in areas of the country experiencing security troubles.  full story

Czech Republic: 136 people detained during neo-Nazi protest, no one charged yet

České Budějovice, 7.7.2013 20:42, (ROMEA) Eight people were injured during clashes between anti-Roma demonstrators and police at the Máj housing estate in České Budějovice which did not end until late in the evening on 6 July. Police spokesperson Lenka Holická told the Czech News Agency that officers detained 136 people and have initiated criminal proceedings on suspicion of violence against a public official in six cases.  full story

Czech Police disperse unannounced demonstration against Roma, eight people injured

České Budějovice, 7.7.2013 3:10, (ROMEA) The Czech Police intervened at the Máj housing estate in České Budějovice on 6 July against the participants in an anti-Roma demonstration. Ivana Kerslesová, spokesperson for the České Budějovice Hospital, says eight people, two of them police officers, have been injured.  full story

Czech Republic: More than 100 arrests in today's violence

České Budějovice, 6.7.2013 22:36, (ROMEA) Czech Police arrested more than 100 people today in České Budějovice as the result of today's neo-Nazi violence.  full story

Czech Republic: Families on Přednádraží Street in Ostrava prepare to leave

Ostrava, 5.7.2013 18:58, (ROMEA) The last families living in the sole occupied building in the ghetto on Přednádraží Street in Ostrava, number 8, are preparing to move out. They have given up on their year-long fight to preserve the locality.  full story

Czech Police President: Minimizing any actual incidents of ethnic intolerance or racism is completely unacceptable

Prague, 5.7.2013 1:20, (ROMEA) Almost 30 NGOs and individuals called on Czech Police President Martin Červíček on 4 July to distance himself from the statement made by South Bohemian Regional Police Director Radomír Heřman at a press conference on 1 July in České Budějovice in which he said the racists at a recent demonstration who chanted "black swine" on the main square there were referring to police officers, not to Romani people. The organizations said they believed Heřman's remarks essentially defended the chanting racists.  full story

Czech organizations call on police president to reject regional director's minimizing of racist incident

Prague, 4.7.2013 18:23, (ROMEA) A total of 28 organizations and individuals have called on Czech Police President Martin Červíček to clearly distance himself from and reject the statement made by South Bohemian Regional Police Director Radomír Heřman at a press conference on 1 July in České Budějovice in which he defended the racists who recently chanted "black swine" on the main square there. Heřman claimed that phrase referred to police officers, not to Romani people.  full story

Roma Education Fund announces Roma International Scholar Program

Czech Republic, 4.7.2013 11:55, (ROMEA) Roma Education Fund’s Scholarship Program (REF SP) announces the seventh year of the Roma International Scholar Program (RISP). The Program is designed to provide partial support to Roma students who are citizens of one of the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine, for pursuing Bachelor, Master, Doctorate, or Postdoctoral education outside their home country or country of residence.  full story

Czech Republic: More police to patrol Máj housing estate

České Budějovice, 3.7.2013 23:36, (ROMEA) The number of municipal and state police deployed to the Máj housing estate in České Budějovice, home to a large Romani community, will be increased after last Saturday's attempt at a pogrom there. Mayor Juraj Thoma (Citizens for Budějovice - OPB) informed journalists of the increase after today's extraordinary session of the municipal council.  full story

Czech political scientist: "People feel the extremists are the only ones interested in them"

Prague, 3.7.2013 22:52, (ROMEA) Miroslav Mareš, a political scientist and specialist on extremism, says that government inaction and failure to resolve the security situation is responsible for the current anti-Romani demonstrations in České Budějovice and other towns throughout the Czech Republic. "People feel the extremists are the only ones interested in them," Mareš told the on-line daily TÝDEN.CZ. News server Romea.cz presents that interview in full translation:  full story

Former Czech PM suggests roundtable with parliamentary parties and Roma representatives

Prague, 3.7.2013 22:01, (ROMEA) Former Czech PM Jiří Paroubek, now the chair of the National Socialist - 21st Century Left party (Národní socialisté – levice 21. století or NS LEV21) has called on politicians to start finally resolving the problem of coexistence between Czechs and Roma together with representatives of the Romani community. "Another weekend of anti-Romani protests and clashes with police indicates there are enormous tensions in Czech society," Paroubek said of the recent attempted pogrom against Romani people in České Budějovice.  full story

Commentary: Why does the phrase "white aggressor" bother readers?

Prague, 2.7.2013 15:58, (ROMEA) Recently, in many articles published by Czech media outlets across the spectrum, we see the following expressions being used more and more often: "Romani aggressor" or the plural "Romani aggressors", "Romani racist aggressors", "brutal Romani gang", "violent Romani man", "a group of aggressors (Romani, of course)", "six aggressors (Romani)". The neo-Nazis Dufek and Svoboda, who organized demonstrations not long ago in Duchcov against Romani people (all of them), used the slogan: "Against the Romani aggressors".  full story

Czech Police: Demonstrators meant us when they chanted "black swine"

České Budějovice, 2.7.2013 5:10, (ROMEA) Radomír Heřman, the director of the South Bohemian Regional Police, held a press conference on 1 July 2013 regarding the police intervention required on 29 June when a demonstration spun out of control and turned into an attempted pogrom against Romani people in České Budějovice. Heřman seemingly took up the role of attorney for the racists who gathered there last Saturday, claiming that what they had been shouting had no racist subtext.  full story

Czech Republic: Local government, state police harshly criticized over anti-Romani demonstration

České Budějovice, 1.7.2013 23:39, (ROMEA) The leadership of the South Bohemian Regional Police is claiming to have managed last Saturday's intervention against the street battles at the Máj housing estate in České Budějovice well. Local government is also convinced that it did the same.  full story

Czech Senator Okamura: Let's "democratically" send the Roma to India

Prague, 1.7.2013 17:59, (ROMEA) The online magazine Česká pozice (Czech Position) published the following commentary on 28 June, which news server Romea.cz presents here in full translation:  full story

Injury count rises to 10 in České Budějovice, mayor says his hands were tied

České Budějovice, 29.6.2013 23:11, (ROMEA) After 20:00 CET on 29 June, neo-Nazi demonstrators on the streets of the Máj housing estate in České Budějovice (see http://www.romea.cz/cz/zpravodajstvi/domaci/na-ceskobudejovickem-sidlisti-maj-se-shromazdilo-zhruba-200-prevazne-romu) continued rioting on Václav Volf Street, where they did their best to provoke conflict with local Romani residents. Police began pushing the provocateurs out of the area shortly after 21:00.  full story