Even the current wave of anti-Islamic sentiment in the Czech Republic failed to attract a larger amount of people to an assembly convened by the Workers Social Justice Party (DSSS) against immigration and Islam yesterday. About 40 people turned out to listen to a speech by DSSS leader Tomáš Vandas on the Old Town Square in Prague.
Approximately the same amount of people attended a counter-protest and religious gathering "For peace and tolerance among people" organized by the Christian initiative "Living Together in Peace" and the Konexe association. Previous demonstrations against Islam in Prague have been attended by hundreds of people, but the DSSS event failed to attract those numbers.
The group calling itself "We Don’t Want Islam in the Czech Republic" (IVČRN) distanced itself from the DSSS assembly, saying they believed DSSS members would come to the square just to "yell". "IVČRN is unequivocally distancing itself from the Protest against Immigration and Islamicization in the Czech Republic being held today, 21 February 2015 on the Old Town Square in Prague by the Workers Social Justice Party. The administrators of IVČRN do not identify with the programmatic aims of that party and call on all our members and supporters not to attend this event," representatives of IVČRN posted to Facebook.
Approximately 40 people gathered at 2 PM at St. Nicholas Church to counter-protest the demonstration against Islam. "The hatred proclaimed yesterday against Romani people, today against Muslims, and the day before yesterday against Jews is a threat to our entire society which is based on the deeply Christian values of brotherhood, mutual tolerance, respect and understanding," said evangelical parson Mikuláš Vymětal of the "Living Together in Peace" initiative when asked why he held the counter-demonstration.
