Gwendolyn Albert

USA: Neo-Nazi website shut down after insulting Charlottesville murder victim

15.8.2017 11:53 The American neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer is experiencing problems after insulting the woman who was killed during Saturday's protests against the white racist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia. GoDaddy, administrator of the web domain, has cancelled its contract and the Google firm subsequently cancelled its registration with them.  full story

US President fails to explicitly condemn white racists for deadly rally, garners criticism and protest

13.8.2017 18:31 American media outlets are reporting today that the unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia yesterday provoked by an extremist "white nationalist" rally is sparking growing resistance there, and President Donald Trump is garnering criticism for his equivocal commentary on it. One person died during the demonstration by the "white nationalists", two State Police officers died when their helicopter crashed as they responded to the rally, and 19 people were injured.  full story

USA: "White nationalist" rally blamed for three deaths and 19 injuries

13.8.2017 8:58 In Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, unrest was underway yesterday because of what US media are calling a "white nationalist" rally during which a terrorist drove a car into a crowd of anti-racist demonstrators, killing one and injuring 19. The clashes began on Friday, 11 August and more scuffles broke out yesterday.  full story

Crime prevention assistants from Romani community prove valuable in Czech town

9.8.2017 12:04 The town of Česká Lípa has hired two more crime prevention assistants, raising the number aiding local patrol officers to four, two men and two women. Thanks to good experience with their work, the local council decided to double their numbers, but while last year the jobs were financed thanks to state subsidies, the expansion of the project will be paid from the municipality's own resources.  full story

Czech mayor once praised for Roma integration halts subsidies to part of housing estate, impact on tenants unreported

1.8.2017 12:45 The Czech News Agency reports that following the towns of Děčín, Jirkov and Most, the famous village of Obrnice has become yet another municipality in the Ústecký Region to decide to exploit the recent amendment to the law on aid to those in material distress and to halt the disbursal of housing benefits to addresses in so-called "areas with an increased incidence of socially negative phenomena". The decision specifically affects the inhabitants of at least three prefabricated buildings in the village's local "Nová výstavba" housing estate, but the Czech News Agency does not report what will become of them.  full story

Slovak Police charge politician with extremism

30.7.2017 6:00 News server Plus JEDEN DEŇ reported on 28 July that police in Slovakia have charged Marian Kotleba, the head of the ultra-right party "Kotleba-People's Party Our Slovakia" (LSNS), with extremism. In March he gave a socially vulnerable family a check for EUR 1 488, which is a number with a neo-Nazi code meaning.  full story

Czech ultra-right extremist on trial for approving of genocide, inciting hatred against Jews and refugees

25.7.2017 11:02 The chair of the ultra-right National Democracy (Národní demokracie - ND) party, extremist Adam B. Bartoš, asked to read into the court record all of the writings that are the basis of the charges against him for approving of genocide, denying genocide, inciting hatred and defaming national groups. Justice Pavla Hájková rejected his request as unnecessary, but his attorney is considering appealing her decision.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani people discuss whether the approach of Afrofuturism could empower them

23.6.2017 7:22 On Friday, 16 June, the Romafuturismo Library hosted a discussion at the Tranzitdisplay Gallery about Afrofuturism and how it could relate to Romani people. The discussion began with a Skype conversation with writer and director Ytasha L. Womack, who talked about her film, "A Love Letter to the Ancestors from Chicago", and her book, "Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture".  full story

Czech Republic: Romani musician receives award for civic bravery

2.6.2017 7:03 The singer Radek Banga was given the František Kriegel Award on Wednesday, 31 May for civic bravery. Last year, during the announcement of the winners of the "Czech Nightingale" popular music awards, Banga protested against the fascist band Ortel being honored.  full story

PHOTOGALLERY: Commemorative ceremony honoring the memories of the Romani victims of the Holocaust at Lety u Písku

16.5.2017 7:38 On Saturday, 13 May 2017, the tradiional commemorative ceremony honoring the memory of the Romani victims of the Holocaust was held at Lety u Písku. The ceremony was
organized by the Committee for the Redress of the Roma Holocaust (Výbor pro odškodnění romského holokaustu - VPORH), which brings together former prisoners of the Nazi
camps and their family members, as well as those who lost family members in the camps.  full story

Czech Christian Democratic Governor and Senator resigns his local posts but says his antigypsyist remarks not the reason

13.4.2017 8:11 Czech Christian Democratic Governor and Senator resigns his local posts but says his antigypsyist outburst was not the reason  full story

Kai Dikhas Gallery in Berlin features painter Laďa Gažiová in group show "Kali Berga"

12.4.2017 9:22 Last Week the vernissage was held in Berlin for a group exhibition entitled "Kali Berga" (Black Mountain) introducing five contemporary artists of Romani origin from several European countries. Painter Laďa Gažiová, who creates her work in Prague, is among those exhibited.  full story

European organizations meet in Berlin to discuss combating hatred and teaching about the Holocaust, including Roma

6.4.2017 16:58 How can the subject of both the Jewish and the Romani victims of the Holocaust be brought into the schools of Europe? How can people respond to hate speech when they see it on social networking sites?  full story

Gwendolyn Albert: Is impunity ending for ethnic discrimination in the Czech schools?

16.3.2017 16:59

The judgment earlier this month finding that a primary school discriminated against Romani enrollees into first grade on the basis of their ethnicity stands out as an example of children and their parents asserting their right to education in the Czech Republic. Should the school appeal, and should the first-instance judgment withstand higher court scrutiny, we might be able to say that a first blow has been dealt by the Czech courts to the impunity for ethnic discrimination in the schools that has persisted here for decades.

 full story

French court fines Jean-Marie Le Pen for abusive remarks about Romani people - again

9.3.2017 12:39 A French appeals court has fined the founder of the ultra-right party Front National (FN), Jean-Marie Le Pen, for abusive remarks he made about Romani people in 2013. The Czech News Agency reports that Last April's fine of EUR 8 000 has been reduced to EUR 5 000 but does not specify why.  full story

Czech Police propose charging four people for neo-Nazi graffiti on businesses in the HateFree Zone

9.3.2017 8:52 Police in Prague, Czech Republic have proposed charging four people with spray-painting neo-Nazi symbols on businesses and cafes involved in the Czech Government's
HateFree Zone project. Prosecution of a fifth defendant has been temporarily suspended.
 full story

Czech state chooses firm to appraise pig farm on concentration camp site

18.2.2017 9:21 The Czech Culture Ministry has chosen a firm to produce an expert appraisal of the value of the pig farm at Lety u Písku located on the site of what was once a concentration camp. The B.S.O. expert institute of Prague will produce it and is being paid CZK 228 690 (EUR 8 463) inclusive of VAT to do so.  full story

Czech Education Minister wants to give schools money to visit historical sites

13.2.2017 7:36 Czech Education Minister Kateřina Valachová (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) wants to make it possible for schools to visit certain locations connected with Czech history free of charge. In May the ministry will make public a pilot program through which schools will be able to seek money for such field trips.  full story

Czech Police propose prosecution of ultra-right extremist, he faces three years if convicted

12.2.2017 9:39 Prague Police have proposed prosecuting the chair of the ultra-right National Democracy party, Adam B.Bartoš, for the crimes of approving of and/or denying, justifying or questioning genocide, inciting hatred, defaming a nation and approving of a felony. Tomáš Hulan, spokesperson for the Prague Police, informed the Czech News Agency of the indictment on 7 February.  full story

International Romani Union says offer to help Trump came from Rom facing traditional community justice procedure in Romania

8.2.2017 8:35 Dorin Cioabă, the self-declared "King of all Roma", has sent a letter to US President Donald Trump promising to aid him with building the controversial wall on the border between Mexico and the USA. This news, which in the Czech Republic would usually only be fit for the tabloid media, was instead reported here by public broadcaster Czech Radio.  full story