White supremacists stage another provocation in Czech Republic

22 October 2012

2 minute read

A group of about 20 masked right-wing extremists carrying torches marched through the Czech city of Most on Friday evening before heading to the nearby Chanov housing estate to provoke its Romani residents. Just like the recent similar action in Krupka, this was convened by the so-called “Order of the Cogwheel” (“Řád ozubeného kola”). The invitation to the event, published on Facebook, proves that it was intended to provoke local Romani people.

Marek Hirato, “Grand Master” of the “Order”, who is registered on Facebook under the name Keram Otarih, distributed invitations to the procession through the social networking site. The invitation featured a photograph of a red cogwheel against a black background and was sent out on 24 July at 8:41, together with a racist text and a photograph of a cape and hood reminiscent of the clothing worn by members of the racist Ku-Klux-Klan organization. That photo featured a legend in red reading “You too must fight for the white race.” The Wikipedia entry for Hirato lists him as a member of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and as chair of the civic association “To Help and Protect” (“Pomáhat a chránit”).

The 20 extremists, wearing white masks and carrying lit torches and a black flag with a red cogwheel started their march in front of the Prior department store at 22:00 CET and proceeded along Budovatelů street to Rudolická street. The local daily Mostecký deník reports that drivers and passers-by initially took no notice of them.

Eight masked people carrying their flaming torches and the flag then headed for the Chánov housing estate. The daily reports that approximately 30 Romani men were armed and on patrol around the buildings. “Have them go terrorize people somewhere else. Don’t let them in here. What do they want here? To scare our children?” Romani residents asked local police officers, seeking their protection.

Police officers at the scene checked the identification of the members of the group of provocateurs. Marek Hirato later published on his personal Facebook profile that they eventually managed to reach the Chanov housing estate.

The procession ended just before 2 AM. The Mostecký deník reports that the large numbers of police deployed to the event will cost the taxpayers no small amount of money.