Four ethnic Czechs allegedly beat Romani man with baseball bats earlier this week

One day after last weekend's brawl near a disco in Rumburk between 18 Romani people and six ethnic Czechs, a group of four ethnic Czechs allegedly brutally attacked a Romani man there. News server Lidovky.cz reports that the man alleges he was beaten with baseball bats in front of his pregnant girlfriend. The incident was confirmed to news server Romea.cz by other Romani residents of Rumburk, who do not want to give their names out of fear for their safety.

"There were four of them with baseball bats and my pregnant girlfriend had to watch. In all seriousness, I am going to kill those who did this to me with my bare hands," the Romani man is quoted as saying. Lidovky.cz reports that he had nothing to do with the brawl at the disco.

Local Roma agree that the assailants were not neo-Nazis. Most of the Roma in Rumburk were aware of the brutal attack even though the media had not yet reported it.

News server Lidovky.cz also reported that Romani people in Rumburk are not afraid of right-wing radicals. "Our defenses would make quick work of them," the paper quotes Karel Růžička, who is an ethnic Czech with a Romani wife, as saying. "I'm afraid that in a few months it's going to be very lively here." Růžička said the situation in Rumburk is being exacerbated mainly by Romani people who have recently moved into the Šluknov foothills.

The full article (in Czech only) is available at http://www.lidovky.cz/gadzove-co-me-zbili-palkami-chcipnou-d7j-/ln_domov.asp?c=A110825_194121_ln_domov_sk