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Czech Republic: Ultra-right plans march through Přerov on 1 May

09 March 2013
2 minute read

Right-wing extremists are planning to visit Přerov again. They have chosen the date of 1 May and several months ago reserved T.G. Masaryk Square (náměstí T. G. Masaryka) in the town center. They are also planning a march through the town that will cover more than two kilometers.

Representatives of the town council say the town’s security council will be meeting to discuss the gathering. Right-wing extremists last marched through Přerov in 2011, when as many as 200 demonstrators came to the town. Two years prior to that, about 700 people attended the demonstration, which ended in a street battle with police.

"The march has been announced, the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS) met the deadline," Jiří Bakalík, the town hall registrar, told journalists. "They properly announced the event last November. It will be a march along a particular route. There is a real risk that the participants might riot along the way. The police are prepared and the action is being monitored. It was indicated to us that this could be their only event in the whole country on that day and everyone is preparing for it all the more because of that."

The town’s security council will meet to discuss the party’s gathering on 21 March. "We already have experience with this, we must warn the citizens, get rid of any parked cars, take the garbage cans off the streets," Bakalík added. Deputy Mayor Josef Kulíšek said the town is getting ready for the event together with nonprofit organizations working in excluded localities and with police.

The registered convener of the event is Workers’ Youth Prague (Dělnická mládež Praha). After listening to speeches on the square, participants intend to set out on a more than 2 km march through the entire town center. They plan to pass down Kratochvílova street, Komenského street, Havlíčkova street, Čechova street, Šířava street and then along Žerotínovo náměstí and Wilsonovo street back to náměstí T. G. Masaryka. The projected number of participants is 500.

The right-wing extremists’ meeting has also spoiled plans by the local town hall to hold a cultural 1 May event on the square, which it has done annually. "We had to move the program to 5 and 6 May. On 1 May we will just do a promenade concert in Michalov Park," Bohuslav Přidal, a spokesperson for the town hall, told journalists. According to town hall registrar Bakalík, the town was unable to do anything about the party’s request. "An officially filed request takes priority," the secretary said.

Extremists last marched through Přerov in June 2011. Police from six regions traveled to the town for the march by 200 right-wing extremists. Security was monitored by as many as 700 police officers and a police helicopter. There were no clashes between the marchers and Romani residents.

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