Organizer cancels tomorrow's anti-Roma demonstration in Rumburk

One of the two demonstrations planned for tomorrow in Šluknov district will evidently not take place. The Czech Press Agency reports that the organizer of the demonstration in Rumburk, Josef Mašín, has canceled it and announced the cancellation to the town. On his website, Mašín says he made the decision after being subjected to specific pressure.

Mirko Bernas, an independent entrepreneur and former regional council member (elected for the Severočeši.cz party), called on Mašín to cancel the protest. He posted placards on several properties he owns in town telling Mašín that if he organizes any more demonstrations he should stay out of any buildings Bernas owns. One of the buildings houses a gym in which Mašín reportedly works as a trainer, while the other is a pub he usually frequents.

“Yes, it’s true, the demonstration is canceled, but I don’t want to go into it,” Mašín told the Czech Press Agency. It was he who convened the first large demonstration against Romani residents in the Šluknov foothills last month. Roughly 1 000 people set off on an unannounced march through the town after he gave a speech there.

Bernas made his challenge to Mašín for two reasons. “Mr [Vice-Mayor] Šváb (ČSSD) spread the rumor that I was organizing these protests, even though I personally witnessed him driving Mašín in his own vehicle to Varnsdorf to learn how demonstrations are done there,” Bernas said. He is also bothered by how the situation in North Bohemia has developed. “People are organizing these protests who are doing their best to distract attention away from other things,” he said.

“I admit that Mr Mašín’s decision surprises me, but on the other hand, I see this decision as important for calming the situation in town. However, we are aware that the public feels the need to express themselves regarding the current situation in Rumburk, and therefore we have agreed with Mr Mašín that at the next town council meeting we will create more space for citizens to express their opinions and positions,” Mayor of Rumburk Jaroslav Sykáček said. The next meeting will take place on 13 October 2011 in the large hall of the Střelnice Cultural House in Rumburk.

The Rumburk town hall said that Sykáček was not familiar with why Mašín called off the gathering and would not comment. The mayor also had no comment on the alleged link between Vice-Mayor Darko Šváb and Mašín. “Vice-Mayor Šváb is not at work today, so we have not had the opportunity to consult him regarding this entire matter. We don’t know his opinion is or what role he is playing in this entire case, so we cannot and will not comment,” the mayor said.

Josef Mašín was involved at the very beginning of the current demonstrations targeting Romani people. He convened the first rally on 26 August on the square in Rumburk, which was attended by roughly 1 500 people. Most of them set off on an unannounced march through the town after he gave an emotional speech. Police did not get the march under control at first and it eventually grew into riots and attempted lynchings outside the homes of Romani families. At the time, Mašín rejected allegations that he is an extremist, even though he accepted the congratulations of people who were wearing brands of clothing very popular among neo-Nazis.

The demonstration was originally scheduled to take place tomorrow at 15:00 in a park in Rumburk named after an uprising dating back to WWI. Mašín told the town to expect 300 people on behalf of the local “Civic Resistance” movement (Občanský odpor). According to town spokesperson Gabriela Doušová, the organizers originally promised to stay put in the Rumburk Uprising Park and not march anywhere else.

Another demonstration is planned to take place in the town of Varnsdorf and most probably still will, as no one has canceled it yet. Locals who convened it plan to march along a route that is several kilometers long through the entire town.