Bílina, Czech Republic: Amplified noise banned even during the day on streets where Roma live

Local police are authorized to confiscate amplifiers if necessary. Residents of the localities at issue have long complained of amplified noise, including during the daytime.

Mayor Zuzana Schwarz Bařtipánová (Association of Dissatisfied Citizens – ANO) informed the Czech News Agency (ČTK) of the development. According to human rights activist Miroslav Brož, however, this is a discriminatory measure targeting local Romani residents only.

The ordinance is published on the town website. Its aim, according to municipal representatives, is to improve the comfort of those living and residing in areas around selected public spaces.

“The current legislation does not give us many options to defend ourselves against very loud music being played by young people in particular, including during the day, so we drafted this local ordinance,” said the mayor. On the basis of the ordinance, patrol officers will be able to intervene in selected locations in case noise is produced, including during daylight hours.

Any eventual violations will be addressed through the misdemeanor commission at the local authority. The ordinance covers M. Švabinského, A. Sovy, and Teplická Streets, the SHD, SUNN, and Za Chlumem localities, and the areas around Čapkova, Aléská and Fügnerova Streets.

The ordinance was adopted by the local assembly in response to longstanding complaints by residents and the experiences of local patrol officers. The town hall consulted the draft ordinance with the Interior Ministry beforehand.

“Because we have experience with local ordinances being overturned, we usually ask for their perspective before adopting such proposals. In this case the ministry expressed its agreement with the wording of the ordinance,” the mayor said.

Activist Miroslav Brož says the measures target just the streets that are predominantly inhabited by Romani people. “What is interesting about the new ordinance of the town of Bílina is that it does not apply to the entire municipal territory, but just to streets where local Romani people live. For that reason, it is, in my opinion, highly discriminatory,” he told news server Romea.cz.

“Bílina has long been clueless and is absolutely failing to address the issues of poverty, exclusion, and community integration, it is not managing and does not know how to solve the situations in its localities which are problematic. Now, once again, they are not coming forward with functional measures, but with a populist action that solves nothing, that apparently is just meant to make the lives of Romani people in Bílina unpleasant,” Brož said.