The people of Brno (CZ) want to block neo-Nazi march peacefully on May Day. They are supported by celebrities
On May Day, at 1 pm (CEST, UTC+2): people of Brno are going to block neo-Nazi march through a district inhabited by the majority of Brno’s Roma people. The non-violent blockade will be held in Cejl through which neo-Nazis want to enter the district. Past experience reveals that followers of Nazism and racism want to provoke and to spread hatred and fear. The non-violent blockade of the march is supported by three dozen prominent Czech celebrities. BRNO Blocks initiative calls on the authorities and the Police to disband the neo-Nazi march or to divert it.
On Sunday 1st May 2011 neo-Nazists plan once again to march through the streets of Brno. This year they have purposely chosen a route that leads through a district inhabited by the majority of Brno’s Roma people. The aim of the neo-Nazis is clear – they want to provoke, to spread hatred and fear. The experience from the recent years unfortunately proves that (clashes with the police on 1st May 2007, attempt for a pogrom in a Roma neighborhood in Janov 2008, hateful speeches and promotion of Nazism on 1st May 2009 in Brno, people who had committed an arson attack on a Roma family participating at their events etc.) [1].
"In such situation we see a non-violent civil blockade to be an adequate answer to the inability or unwillingness of the police, courts, authorities and politicians to effectively face marches of hate," said Jiří Koželouh spokesman of BRNO Blocks.
More and more Czech celebrities support this non-violent blockade. Actor and popular talk show interviewer Jan Kraus, singer Iva Bittová, fashion designer Liběna Rochová, political scinetist Jiří Pehe, priest and university teacher Tomáš Halík, writer Ivan Klíma, Brno’s theater actors or f.e. world champion in Thai boxing Jan Müller. Non-violent blockade has a support of more a nd more Czech journalists: head of home news of Czech TV Jindřich Šídlo, publicist Petra Procházková, reporteur of Czech Radio and writer Pavla Jazairiová, editor-in-chief weekly Respekt Erik Tabery, editor-in-chief daily Referendum Jakub Patočka, dokumentarists Vít Janeček and Vít Klusák or photographer and Czech Press Foto avard winner Stanislav Krupař [2].
Although organizers deny links with neo-Nazism, public information convict their officers of promoting Nazism, racism and intolerance. And of the membership in a banned neo-Nazi groups, including the National Resistance [3]. Spokesmen of action BRNO Blocks have called on the responsible authorities and the Police to disband the neo-Nazi march or to divert it.
"In other countries a similar neo-Nazi march would attract general public and the way of march wolud be blocked by thousands of people. On Sunday 1 st May 2011 we will try it also in Brno," said BRNO Blocks spokeswoman Irena Košíčková.
We would like to invite your reporters and photographers to Brno. If you have more questions about the event please use e-mail (English/Deutch) – mluvci@brnoblokuje.cz. Or use mobile phone numbers of spokesmen of action BRNO Blocks (English):
http://www.romea.cz/dokumenty/press release_04282011_brno blocks.pdf
http://brnoblokuje.cz/?page_id=54 (English)
http://brnoblokuje.cz/?page_id=50 (Deutch)
The non-violent action BRNO Blocks (BRNO Blokuje) is being organized by several dozens of volunteers with different views, of different age and background. The costs of the action are financed from our own resources. The non-violent blockade of the neo-Nazi march is not organized by any political party or movement and does not aim to promote them.
Sources:
[1] http://brnoblokuje.cz/?page_id=54
