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

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. 

"I can assure you with almost 99 % certainty that was not a reference to the Romani community. That epithet was for us [the police officers]," Heřman told the press.

From a video recording of the event posted to YouTube.com, however, it is clear that the shouting was aimed against Romani people. The chanting begins at the moment when a speaker addressing the crowd starts naming the streets where an unannounced march is about to go.

When the speakers says he will lead the march to the Máj housing estate, the crowd interrupts with chants of "black swine, black swine". The crowd then goes on to chant "Let’s go get them, let’s go get them."

At the Máj housing estate, which is home to 22 000 people, many of them Romani, tensions have been predominant since Friday, 21 June, when a conflict arose between children and then between adults at a playground. Police had to intervene on that occasion as well.