DSSS promoters break the law in Prague, police take no action

Approximately 100 members and promoters of the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strany sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS) gathered on Wednesday 26 October in the early evening at the Černý Most metro station in Prague. About 30 people were there to counter-protest.

Party chair Tomáš Vandas kicked off the gathering with the same heated speech we have had the opportunity to hear at most of his previous rallies. Counter-demonstrators shouted their disagreement during his address. “Black, white, forces unite,” people chanted.

Several people in the DSSS crowd kept their faces covered during the demonstration even though it is against the law. Journalists pointed this out more than once to the police officers on hand, but they did not intervene. “You know what, we’re not going to escalate this. You know very well that in the end it would just be turned against us,” one police officer said. A reporter with news server Romea.cz also witnessed the DSSS demonstrators cursing at and threatening to beat up photographers who were taking their pictures.

The event ended after 18:00. “No incidents occurred either during or after the gathering,” said police spokesperson Tomáš Hulan.