Czech Litvinov town hall bans another extremist march

Litvinov today banned another march through the town that a far-right-winger from Prague had announced for December 29, the town hall of Litvinov, where extremists staged three marches against the local Romany community in the past weeks, says on its website.

On Wednesday, the town hall banned five marches and assemblies. Some had been announced by extremists, others by local citizens dissatisfied with the situation at Janov, a local housing estate with prevailing Romany population, and one by the Romany Christian Association.

The Romanies have only been allowed to march through the centre today.

From Friday until next May, the town streets and squares were previously "booked" by the Jewish Liberal Union.

The Jews and Romanies plan events against racism, aimed to prevent right-wing radicals, participants in Workers’ Party’s (DS) meetings, from marching in Janov.

The previous marches were held "in support of solving problems posed by unadaptable citizens" and against the local Romanies whose bad manners the extremists say disturb their "white" neighbours.

The march on November 17 developed into a sharp clash between the police and hundreds of extremists.

A total of 9 meetings or marches have been announced to the Litvinov hall in recent days. Some of them are yet to be decided on.

The banned events include a march that Janov’s [mainly non-Romany] residents have announced for this afternoon with the aim to present their dissatisfaction with the situation in the housing estate.

However, the town hall has permitted only the Romany Christian Association’s meeting to take place on Thursday.

In past few years, Romanies from other regions and also from Slovakia have settled down in Janov. The situation is tense in the area.

A Janov resident told CTK the ban will not prevent people from Janov to stage their protest.