Czech Police disperse unannounced demonstration against Roma, eight people injured

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.

Police arrested more than 100 people involved with the demonstration. An assembly against racism and for peaceful coexistence took place prior to the demonstration at the housing estate without any problems.

Almost 400 people discuss the situation at the Máj housing estate

The only properly organized assembly in the town today began at around 13:00 at the Máj housing estate. In the beginning about 200 people, most of them Romani, gathered there. After prayers and a sermon, a discussion began among the housing estate residents that lasted several hours. Czech neighbors gradually joined the assembled Roma and discussed the situation with them face to face and openly for the first time ever. The discussion was followed by about 400 people.

The debate was very harsh at times, but everything took place without any violence or vulgarities. "The atmosphere here is just astonishing. People are speaking face to face and the tension that was here is slowly disappearing. Romani people are saying what bothers them about their Czech neighbors and the Czechs are saying what bothers them about their co-existence with their Romani neighbors. I consider this afternoon at the Máj housing estate to have been an enormous success in unequivocally reducing tensions here," Miroslav Brož of the Konexe association, which convened the assembly, described to news server Romea.cz at 16:30. The gathering ended just before 17:30 and people went back home.

Town hall officially disperses unannounced anti-Romani assembly

The first anti-Romani radicals began to gather on Přemysl Otakar II Square just before 16:00. The town hall ordered the unannounced event officially dispersed and individuals then tried to get from the square to the Máj housing estate. Police did not let them leave the square marching together as happened last week.

About 400 radicals and other citizens of České Budějovice met up at about 18:30 near the Máj housing estate and the Cine Star multiplex. People did not obey police orders to leave the scene; instead, more people kept arriving.   

Mounted police and riot officers used tear gas grenades to push the demonstrators back in order to prevent them from attacking the housing estate residents. Secret police officers concealed in the mob also intervened against the most aggressive neo-Nazis. Two water cannon were deployed but never used.

During the intervention, which lasted until 21:00, police arrested more than 100 of the most aggressive antigypsyists. Police patrols will evidently remain at the housing estate through the night.

Police 100 % prepared this time

Prior to today’s demonstration, which was convened through the internet, police occupied the Máj housing estate, the center of town, and all the adjacent streets. They monitored the access roads into town and confiscated several weapons prior to the demonstrations, including bars, baseball bats and other objects. News server Romea.cz correspondents who were on the scene report that today’s intervention was handled very well by the officers in terms of tactics and was professionally performed. 

Anti-Romani unrest started by banal argument between children

A tense situation at the Máj housing estate, which is home to 20 000 people, has predominated since 21 June. On that day, children got into a conflict at the local playground which then spread to include adults. 

The conflict between Czechs on the one hand and Romani residents on the other resulted in several injured persons. One of the injured was a pregnant woman. 

It is not clear who started the conflict or how. Police have not yet published information about the exact causes and circumstances of the incident.