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News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

Interior Ministry not registering "Czech Lions", by law they are an "unpermitted association"

11 September 2013
4 minute read

The Czech Interior Ministry has refused to register the "Czech Lions" (Čeští lvi) association. "The articles of incorporation of this association do not comply with the Law on Associations," Břetislav Oliva of the ministry’s Department of Press and Public Relations told news server Romea.cz.

Unpermitted associations

Oliva said the Interior Ministry cannot officially register the "Czech Lions" because, according to the law, they are an unpermitted association in the sense of Section 8, letter c, which says that "The ministry will reject registration if it can deduce from the articles of incorporation submitted that the association is unpermitted." An "unpermitted association" is defined in paragraph 4 of the Law on Associations (No. 83/1990, Coll.) as follows:

"Associations are not permitted:
a) whose aim is to deny or restrict the personal, political or other rights of citizens on the basis of their nationality, origin, political or other opinions, race, religion, sex, or social position; to incite hatred and intolerance for such reasons; to support violence; or to otherwise violate the Constitution and the laws;
b) who seek to achieve such aims through methods that violate the Constitution and the laws;
c) who are armed or who include armed units; this does not include associations whose members possess or use firearms for purposes of sport or to exercise their right to hunt." 

Neo-Nazi version of the "People’s Militia"

The "Czech Lions" neo-Nazi group is a sort of extremely right-wing version of the Czechoslovak Communist Party’s People’s Militia (Lidové milice) and is affiliated with the newly emerging Democratic Workers’ Party (Demokratická strana pracujících – DSP), which is being founded by defectors from the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS). According to the information available, Petr Kotáb has been elected chair of the preparatory committee for this splinter faction and František Karel Ladislav, Pavel Sládek Matějný and Lucie Šlégrová have been elected vice-chairs.

Petr Kotáb previously worked in the neo-Nazi Workers’ Party, which was subsequently dissolved by court order, and then for its successor organization, the DSSS. Speaking at an anti-Roma demonstration in the town of Nový Bydžov in March 2011, Kotáb said the following (among other remarks) about Romani people:  "We will not let ourselves be terrorized and the time will come when these problems will be… decisively and effectively resolved once and for all."

The defectors are primarily recruiting members in northern Bohemia, where they are represented by the Šlégr siblings, who were also previously active in the Workers’ Party. Lucie Šlégrová and her brother Jiří (not to be confused with the hockey player) are well-known figures.

Šlégrová is the media icon of the right-wing extremist fighters and sports a tattoo with a drawing of a worker and the slogan "My Honour is Loyalty" ("Meine Ehre heißt Treue", in Czech "Věrnost je mou ctí"). According to Miroslav Mareš, who is a leading expert on extremism and a political scientist, this was the motto of the Nazi SS, the most merciless armed Nazi units. 

Šlégrová also enjoys producing clothing according to the latest "workers’" fashions, such as t-shirts with the name of the neo-Nazi band Weisse Wolfe featuring stylized insignia of the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) and the SS. As was proven during the prosecution of the Workers’ Party, she has been captured in photographs giving the Nazi salute.

Matějný is known from many right-wing extremist events, such as DSSS meetings with German neo-Nazis. Among other things, he was photographed giving the Nazi salute next to the flag of the Nazi Third Reich featuring the Iron Cross (see photo above) at an event convened by neo-Nazi Jaromír Pytel, who also helped organize one of the anti-Roma marches in České Budějovice earlier this summer.

Ladislav, according to the Antifa.cz website, has set up a Facebook profile with the name Karel Kubrt. He too, among other things, participated in Pytel’s event pictured above and in many other right-wing extremist meetings. 

Against the Roma

Recently the "Czech Lions" have organized several anti-Roma events. The main figure involved in this work has been Pavel Sládek Matějný.

It was Matějný who recently led a group of neo-Nazi street fighters through the town of Duchcov during an anti-Roma demonstration. "This is not just our march route, this is our town" Matějný shouted, after which the right-wing extremists assaulted the police officers present.

The group also recently convened the anti-Roma demonstration in Ostrava. There too, just like in Duchcov, march participants attempted a pogrom against Romani residents.

The right-wing extremists also marched in the town of Vítkov this summer, where several years ago the worst-ever arson attack on a Romani family was committed. Natálie Kudriková, who was not quite two years old at the time of the attack, suffered burns that have scarred her for life. Both of her parents were also injured during the attack and the entire family, including Natálie’s three sisters, are suffering serious psychological repercussions.

The "Czech Lions" have announced other events for the future.

Right-wing extremists holding grudges against one another

Reportedly the defectors did not leave on good terms with DSSS leader Tomáš Vandas and big grudges are being held between the two groups of right-wing extremists. A fake webpage for the DSP has appeared online that was most probably produced by the DSSS to discredit the new party by associating it with coarse, infantile content.

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