Czech Police intervene after ultra-right attacks those opposed to neo-Nazism in Plzeň

Approximately 100 right-wing extremists assembled yesterday in Plzeň, Czech Republic to celebrate 1 May at a gathering organized by the Workers Social Justice Party (DSSS), the Workers Youth (DM) and the Bloc against Islamicization (BPI). About 50 people, most of them students, turned out to protest against them.

Despite the fact that police officers attempted to keep the two groups separate, the neo-Nazis assaulted those opposed to them before giving their speeches. Two DSSS supporters ran amok among the assembled opponents of neo-Nazism, disrupting public order.

Police took both men to the local station for processing, police spokesperson Veronika Hokrová told the Czech News Agency (ČTK). "The situation was calmed and currently both men are being dealt with on suspicion of committing a misdemeanor against civil coexistence," she said.

According to ČTK, members of both camps shouted at each before the speeches were given at the ultra-right demonstration and police had to separate both camps due to the threat of clashes. News server iDNES.cz reported that officers surrounded approximately 50 opponents of those disseminating hatred and neo-Nazism and kept them in one place.

Those who were surrounded were predominantly students and complained that their personal freedoms were being restricted. The ultra-right demonstrators gave speeches from the fenced-off roof of a double-decker "London" bus rented for the demonstration.

VIDEO

In addition to speeches by representatives of the organizers there were speeches made by representatives of "National Militia" (Národní domobrana), "National Democracy" (Národní demkracie), the "Group of People for People' (Spolek Lidé Lidem) and other sympathizers; at the close of the event, Slovak MP Ján Kecskés of the "People's Party Our Slovakia" (Lidová strana Naše Slovensko) addressed the crowd. The lengthiest speech was given by DSSS chair Tomáš Vandas, who gave his usual stump speech against immigrants and called for the dissolution of the European Union.

After two hours of speeches accompanied by the shouts and whistles of disagreement from those protesting against the event, those convening it invited those attending to an "afterparty" in a restaurant near the city center. As of 5 PM yesterday, ČTK reported that police would be following them in order to forestall potential conflicts.