NGO asks Czech Romanies to set up home guards to face radicals

Czech Romany civic groups associated in the Romani Alliance today called on Romanies to form home guards in reaction to the recent demonstration of far-right extremists in Litvinov, and they called on well-off Romanies to go to Canadian exile.

A wave of resistance and strong mistrust arose among Czech Romanies in the wake of the Litvinov demonstration of the National Resistance and Workers' Party (DS) members, Romani Alliance has written in a press release.

The government's hypocrisy threatens democracy in the Czech Republic, it says.

Romani Alliance reproaches the police for failing to dissolve the extremists' illegal meeting in Litvinov and to eliminate the dangerous radicals.

"How is it possible that politicians keep silent about so serious a situation Romanies are faced with," Romani Alliance writes.

It calls on Romanies not to rely on the failing state authorities and prepare their defence against extremists' attacks by themselves.

Some civic associations on Tuesday accused the police of what they called botched intervention against the extremists on Saturday. They want the Interior Ministry and the police presidium to check the police steps.

The North Bohemian police insist they proceeded appropriately.

The Czech Federation of Jewish Communities and other associations call for the dissolution of the DS, a far-right extra-parliamentary party whose members took part in the October 18 demonstration in Litvinov.

The demonstration was meant as a response to attacks by Romanies on DS "patrols monitoring the situation" in Janov, Litvinov's housing estate with prevailing Romany population.

The demonstration, attended by up to 400 extremists, developed into conflicts between the extremists and the police. Three policemen and one demonstrator were injured.

Several groups of extremists reached the Janov neighbourhood but the police managed to prevent their clash with local Romanies in the last moment.