Speaking yesterday at a demonstration in Prague, Edita Stejskalová, a civil society member of the Czech Government Council on Romani Minority Affairs, called for the Czech Government to immediately create the position of a Commissioner for Romani Affairs. "Romani people do not live in poverty and social exclusion by choice! Romani people are entitled to equal, fair treatment! Romani people do not want to live on the fringes of society! Romani people are demanding that EU institutions and their own Governments educate society to respect the rights of all citizens, and we ask the courts to thoroughly punish advocacy of political opinions based on theories of racial superiority! Romani people demand adequate protection of their lives and personalysecurity, as is guaranteed to all citizens! Romani people demand active, seriously-conceived participation from the national to the international level in decision-making processes," she called on the authorities in a speech that news server Romea.cz. is publishing in full translation below.

On 31 July 2018 Romani people from all over the Czech Republic traveled to the capital to protest the mistreatment and violence against Romani people in Italy and Ukraine. Full video of the protest is here.

An amateur photography competition called "One Day in Přerov" was recently organized by that town in the Czech Republic, and of the more than 20 photographs submitted, the series capturing the life of Romani people there, taken by Iris Kopplhuber of Austria, won the award. The winner was chosen by visitors to the town's website, who voted for their favorites.

As many as 900 people assembled on Saturday, 28 July 2018 in Bucharest, Romani in front of the Italian and Ukrainian embassies to express their disagreement with many violent anti-Romani crimes and to protest antigypsyism in Europe. The assemblies were the first in a series of protests that are being realized in nine European countries.

The two-year Bachelor's program in Romani Studies at Charles University is available either as a major or minor focus. The deadline for the extended application procedure is 19 August 2018.

The Czech Republic has not yet managed to solve its problems with the personal debt trap and overindebtedness, and laws to improve the situation are lacking, which means the rules governing collections proceedings are being corrected by the courts instead. Systematic education of the public to boost their financial and legal literacy is developing only slowly.

On Tuesday 31 July at 16:00 a march to support Romani people in Ukraine will take place in Prague as part of a bigger protest being held in 10 European countries. The first in the series of demonstrations begins tomorrow in Bucharest, Romania, while other events referencing the current violence will also mark Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, 2 August, in Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain and the UK, while 6 August will see events in Hungary and Macedonia.