The demonstration held by Lukáš Kohout yesterday in Děčín became a farce. Kohout didn’t have sound equipment and not many people turned out, just a couple of his supporters and other people who there just to watch.
We were in front of the residential hotel where many Romani people live in Děčín, prepared to maintain the peace among Romani residents who were outraged by the anti-Romani demonstration and to defend ourselves if necessary. Everything took place in an atmosphere of calm and nothing out of the ordinary happened.
The Romani residents were in a good mood and were glad we had come to support them together with the chair of the Romani Democratic Party (RDS), Miroslav Tancoš. I spoke with them about the need to unite and stick together.
Should the need arise, we will try to organize a Romani demonstration across the country to demand that the Government and the Parliament tighten up the laws against xenophobia and against these racist marches targeting ethnic minorities living on the territory of the Czech Republic. Let’s ask for stricter criminal liability for the organizers of these actions, the content of which targets ethnic groups.
These organizers (and possibly also those who don’t ban these events or who don’t intervene when the law is broken during them) are committing crimes by sparking hatred and attacks against the dignity of others, they are grossly disturbing civil coexistence. Human dignity is protected by the Constitution of the Czech Republic.
The Criminal Code (Part 2, Chapter X, Section 352) reads as follows:
1. Whoever threatens a group of inhabitants with death, bodily harm, or extensive damage shall be punished by a prison sentence of up to one year.
2. Whoever uses violence against a group of inhabitants or against individuals, or threatens them with death, bodily harm or extensive damage because of their political convictions, nationality, affiliation with an ethnic group, race, religion or belief, or because they have no religion or belief, shall be punished by a prison sentence of between six months and three years.
3. Whoever conspires to perpetrate or instigates the perpetration of such a crime shall receive the same punishment as in paragraph 2.
We Roma must create order among ourselves as well and not give the majority any reason to attack us. Then we can unite and give the Government and the Parliament our demands.
Unification of the Roma is important because none of us are indifferent to the fate of our children. Romale, it’s time to be heard!
We’ve had enough! Some people from the majority society are attacking us and tarring us all with the same brush.
We are human beings, we are citizens of this state, we were born here. We have the right to a dignified life and to protection from the state, just like every other citizen of the Czech Republic.
Upre Roma, but bacht the sastipen mangav savorenge romenge ČR.
Mário Rusenko, political secretary and adviser to the chair of the Romani Democratic Party
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