news

UK: Muslim Community Helps Survivors of Grenfell Tower Fire

26.6.2017 23:15 As has been widely reported by the world media, on Wednesday, 14 June, the 24-story Grenfell Tower in London erupted into flames, resulting in the death and injury of many residents. The number of dead is currently listed at 79 people, with the number expected to rise.  full story

Slovakia: Neo-Nazis assemble for hate demonstration, but many more counter-demonstrate against them

27.6.2016 11:02 Hundreds of people participated in a neo-Nazi demonstration and march on Saturday, 25 June in Bratislava "against the dictatorship of Brussels and for stopping the liquidation of Europe," as well as a concurrent assembly by those opposed to extremism. More than 10 extremists were detained by police and taken to stations for questioning.  full story

Czech Republic: Activists want incoming governing coalition to enact Human Rights Ministry

Prague, 27.11.2013 0:05, (ROMEA) A total of 40 nonprofit organizations and several eminent figures in the Czech Republic have issued an open letter calling on the heads of the ANO, Christian Democratic and Social Democratic parties to consider establishing a Ministry for Human Rights, Minorities and Equal Opportunities should they form a government. Proponents of the move believe it would mean such issues would receive greater weight and would not only help solve country's problems with ghettos, but would even benefit the economy as a whole.  full story

Czech Republic: Non-Romani and Romani students discuss democracy

Prague, 18.11.2013 16:24, (ROMEA) On the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, the ROMEA civic association held a discussion between non-Romani and Romani students about democracy and freedom in Prague on Friday, 15 November. Bára Procházková, editor-in-chief of the society monthly Bel Mondo, which works with the RESPEKT weekly, was the moderator.  full story

Czech Republic: Opponents of Fascism demonstrate, less than 100 attend ultra-right event

Ostrava/Prague, 17.11.2013 21:33, (ROMEA) Not quite 100 right-wing extremists, including hardcore neo-Nazis from the Workers' Youth, gathered in Prague today at the bottom of Wenceslas Square. Their plan was to march down National Avenue, but police had to reroute their procession, as their way was blocked by around 500 opponents of the neo-Nazis' plan to abuse International Students' Day to promote their ideology.  full story

Canadian ambassador to "abusers" of asylum from Czech Republic: "Don't do it"

Prague, 16.11.2013 21:26, (ROMEA) Citizens of the Czech Republic can travel to Canada without visas as of 14 November. Ambassador Otto Jelinek has confirmed that the visa obligation imposed in July 2009 has been lifted.  full story

Slovakia shocked by electoral success of anti-Romani extremist

Banská Bystrica, Slovakia / Prague, Czech Republic, 14.11.2013 0:17, (ROMEA) Several years ago he denied the Holocaust, called the Slovak National Uprising a communist putsch, and used the wartime-era Hlinka Guard greeting "On duty!" (Na Stráž!) at a demonstration. His party's program promises to turn things around with "Romani and other parasites."  full story

Czech tabloid must withdraw article full of lies and racial hatred about Romani children

Nové město pod Smrkem, 13.11.2013 23:25, (ROMEA) The tabloid news server Zprávyextra.cz has published a mendacious, racist article about bullying at a primary school in the town of Nové město pod Smrkem alleging that insolent Romani reprobates bully children there with impunity and that the school is doing nothing about it. After a protest was lodged by the school management, the article was taken offline and is available only through the Google archive.  full story

Czech Republic: Education of Romani children has not changed much since Strasbourg judgment

Prague/Strasbourg, 13.11.2013 17:47, (ROMEA) Six years have passed since the groundbreaking judgment by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of D.H. and Others vs. the Czech Republic. That judgment confirmed that the Czech Republic discriminates against Romani children by disproportionately sending them to what are today called "practical schools" (previously "special schools").  full story

Poland: Neo-Nazis demonstrate in Warsaw, attack Russian embassy

Moscow/Warsaw, 12.11.2013 17:14, (ROMEA) Celebrations of the Polish independence day on Monday, 11 November were accompanied by clashes between neo-Nazis and riot police in the center of Warsaw. Demonstrators threw firecrackers and rocks at police officers and set cars on fire, while police responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon.  full story

Slovakia: Regional elections a fiasco for Romani parties

Bratislava, Slovakia, 12.11.2013 0:49, (ROMEA) Not one candidate from a Romani political party was seated in any of Slovakia's regional councils after the first round of voting Saturday. Three Romani parties fielded 32 candidates in the race.  full story

Czech Republic: Gypsy Spirit 2013 jury announces finalists

Prague, 8.11.2013 0:13, (ROMEA) On 1 November 2013, out of 87 nominations for the Gypsy Spirit award in the Czech Republic, finalists were selected by the nominating jury, comprised of members Jozef Baláž, Darina Batyiová, Jiřina Bradová, Jana Horváthová, Gabriela Hrabaňová, Magdaléna Karvayová, Renata Köttnerová, Petr Polák, Jelena Silajdžić, Andrea Šenkyříková and David Tišer. The nominating jury evaluated the proposals according to the following criteria:  full story

Greek PM promises to fight politically motivated violence

Athens, Greece, 7.11.2013 21:05, (ROMEA) Greek Prime Minister Antoinis Samaras made a television appearance Tuesday in which he announced that the Greek Government will fight tirelessly against political violence and will not permit violent crimes to influence the country's democratic order. Agence France-Presse reports that his remarks were made in response to the September murder of a human rights activist and singer by right-wing extremists and the subsequent murder of two members of the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn last Friday in Athens.  full story

The Romanes language celebrates its international day today

Prague, 5.11.2013 22:53, (ROMEA) Aspirated sounds and an eighth additional case - those are just some of the differences between the Czech and Romanes languages. As part of the International Day of the Romani Language, we reflect on these differences today.  full story

Open letter to the writers of the Czech television serial "Sanitka 2"

Prague, 5.11.2013 17:04, (ROMEA) Mr Hubač, Mr Renč,  full story

Czech activist and journalist Emil Szirmai has passed away

Prague, 5.11.2013 16:23, (ROMEA) Emil Szirmai has passed away. Many people knew him better than I did. His colleagues and friends of many years can write about what he worked on his whole life, what his interests were. For my part I can say that Emil was intensively involved, for more than 10 years, in questions of equality and justice for national minorities. In connection with Romani people he developed and worked on activities both in nonprofit organizations and in state institutions that were sometimes just amazing.  full story

Czech Interior Ministry wants residential hotels as fixture of housing policy

Prague, 4.11.2013 22:42, (ROMEA) The Czech Government has been discussing a document from the Interior Ministry proposing that police specialists be hired to work in the country's ghettos. The officers involved would spend as much as half of their work hours patrolling such areas.  full story

Czech Anti-Fascist Action writes open letter to the ultra-right

Prague, 2.11.2013 19:04, (ROMEA) On 25 October, the website for Anti-Fascist Action in the Czech Republic, Antifa.cz, reported that the group sent an open letter in the run-up to the recent parliamentary elections to members of the ultra-right DSSS party as part of Anti-Fascist Action's ongoing campaign against antigypsyism. News server Romea.cz presents the introduction to the open letter from the website below, as well as the letter itself in full translation.  full story

Greece will definitely return Romani girl to Bulgaria

Bulgaria/Greece, 31.10.2013 16:30, (ROMEA) News server Novinky.cz reports that Greek authorities will be returning the little blonde girl named Maria, who was recently discovered living with a Romani family in the town of Farsala there, to her biological parents' country, Bulgaria. DNA analyses have proven she is the daughter of another Romani couple there, Atanas and Sasha Rusev.  full story

Romani "Obama" fights for rights at the European Parliament

Brussels, Belgium, 30.10.2013 16:45, (ROMEA) The Czech Republic is being shaken by anti-Romani unrest, France is deporting Romani people from eastern Europe and Britain and Germany are reporting similar problems. More and more politicians are playing the anti-Romani card and voters are rewarding them.  full story