Klaus appeals against extremist march, Prague to seek its ban

Czech President Vaclav Klaus today called on all bodies involved not to allow the extremist groups’ planned march through Prague’s historical Jewish Quarter on the German Nazi-era Kristallnacht’s anniversary, his spokesman Petr Hajek told CTK.

Such march would be politically and morally unacceptable, Hajek said, citing Klaus.

Earlier this week, the Prague City Court for the second time cancelled the ban the City Hall imposed on the neo-Nazi march due on November 10.

The Prague City Hall will complain with the Supreme Administrative Court against the City Court’s verdict, the hall’s spokesman Jiri Wolf told CTK.

Lawyers say such a cassation complaint does not have a suspensory effect. The court would have specially declare its suspensory effect in this case, but it probably would not manage it in time, lawyers say.

The neo-Nazis want to march through Prague’s Jewish Quarter on November 10, allegedly in protest against Czech participation in the occupation of Iraq.
The Jewish Community wants to prevent the march. On Tuesday the Jewish Liberal Union called for active resistance to be put up.

"President [Klaus] has received a letter from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in this connection, and he has answered it in accordance with his statement mentioned above," said Hajek.

Tens of Jews were killed during November 10, 1938 "Kristallnacht" in Germany, a Nazi-initiated crackdown on Jews. Some 30,000 people were dragged to concentration camps and Aryanisation of Jewish property started.

The Prague Jewish Community leaders say they are concerned by the City Hall’s failure to push through the ban on the neo-Nazi demonstration.
The City Hall has banned it twice already, pointing out that the meeting is meant as appeal for the fomenting of hatred and intolerance towards people over their ethnicity, origin and religion.

The court always cancelled the ban, citing procedural mistakes.

The City Hall says it wants to take all possible steps for the march to be banned. Municipal officials say that if they failed to push through the ban, they would be ready to dispel the demonstration on the spot if any troubles arose.