Czech Police report 60 extremists protested at Janov today

Sympathizers of the extremist Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti -DSSS) marched through the Czech town of Litvínov and its Janov housing estate today. Police say only 60 demonstrators made it to the town. The march was intended to commemorate the clashes with police that took place there two years ago. A correspondent with news server Romea.cz reports there were approximately 80 demonstrators. Verbal clashes occurred during the march between the extremists and local Roma.

At around 16:00, approximately 50 extremists gathered near the former Delvita supermarket and headed for Janov about 15 minutes later. At a traffic circle where police two years ago had stopped the neo-Nazis and prevented them from carrying out a pogrom against the local Roma, the extremists lit candles. DSSS leader Tomáš Vandas gave a brief speech there. The extremists, who by now numbered about 80 people, moved to a nearby parking lot, where Vandas spoke once again. Petr Kotáb and Lucie Šlégrová also gave speeches.

"There were about 20 local Roma on the scene who protested against the extremist gathering. Both camps engaged in a verbal exchange of opinions," the Romea.cz correspondent reported from the scene. A smaller group of Roma drove up to the gathering in a car and sang Roma songs through the windows.

The Czech Press Agency reported a minor incident at 16:45 when a small group of onlookers started to yell vulgarities at the extremists, who were carrying black flags. "If you come to Janov, we'll rain down paving stones on you," was one of the alleged threats.

The extremists marched five kilometers through Janov, during which time they engaged in almost no chanting. After the march officially came to an end, small groups of extremists then headed back to the former Delvita supermarket chanting racist and xenophobic slogans such as "The nation is supreme", "White, white, who doesn't like white", and "Dead Gypsy floating in the river".