ubytovny

Czech Republic: "Let's Block the Marches!" supporting Roma in Varnsdorf tomorrow during DSSS rally

Varnsdorf, 13.9.2013 17:44, (ROMEA) Tomorrow, 14 September, racists from the right-wing extremist Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS) are planning yet another provocation in the town of Varnsdorf. Almost exactly two years to the day from when violence was provoked there by the party's promoters, the DSSS has announced an assembly on Edvard Beneš Square in Varnsdorf.  full story

Czech Helsinki Committee: Neo-Nazi, ultra-conservative and fascististic fighters gear up for elections

Prague, 11.9.2013 16:49, (ROMEA) The Czech Helsinki Committee (Český helsinský výbor - ČHV), which monitors adherence to human rights in the Czech Republic, has published its 19th Report on the State of Human Rights in the Czech Republic. The ČHV is the only organization in the Czech Republic to publish this report regularly since 1994. The complete "Report on the State of Human Rights in the Czech Republic for 2012" (Zpráva o stavu lidských práv v České republice za rok 2012) is available online in Czech only at http://helcom.cz/ke-stazeni/zpravy-o-stavu-lidskych-prav-v-cr/.  full story

Czech Republic: Residential hotels in Příbram fail inspection, are a "time bomb"

Příbram, 14.8.2013 17:49, (ROMEA) The residential hotels in the Czech town of Příbram have become a topic for public discussion there. They are run by the Stavus firm, which is providing shelter to roughly 500 people in the facilities.  full story

Czech town of Vítkov readies for neo-Nazi assembly and events opposing it

Vítkov, 2.8.2013 22:22, (ROMEA) Municipal leaders and police in the 6 000-strong town of Vítkov (Opava district) are preparing for three assemblies scheduled to take place there on Saturday, 3 August. According to online sources, the police, and the Vítkov town hall, neo-Nazis are planning to march in the town, the Equal Opportunities Party (Strana rovných příležitostí - SRP), which defends the interests of the socially vulnerable, is planning a street meeting there, and the "Let's Block the Marches!" (Blokujeme!) platform has planned an assembly that has been announced by activists from the Konexe organization.  full story

Czech Govt working group led by Human Rights Commissioner introduces proposals for addressing social unrest

Prague, 2.8.2013 0:45, (ROMEA) A Czech Government working group to address social unrest was convened by the Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner on 1 August. Due to the seriousness of the situation the meeting was attended by Czech PM Jiří Rusnok and Interior Minister Martin Pecina.  full story

Czech Republic: DSSS extremists preparing to demonstrate in Varnsdorf again

Varnsdorf, 17.7.2013 16:30, (ROMEA) News server Deník.cz reports that promoters of the Workers Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS), led by party chair Tomáš Vandas, are heading to the town of Varnsdorf once more this fall. They will be doing so almost exactly two years to the day after neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists repeatedly fomented violence on the streets there.  full story

Former Czech Interior Ministers debate neo-Nazi activity

Prague, 8.7.2013 5:10, (ROMEA) Former Czech Interior Minister Martin Pecina, now a candidate for interior minister in the caretaker government of incoming Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok, wants to increase the number of police officers in the country and their salaries. He would like to augment police forces particularly in areas of the country experiencing security troubles.  full story

Czech Republic: Last Romani families leave Ostrava's Přednádraží street

Ostrava, 5.6.2013 16:07, (ROMEA) News server Novinky.cz reports that after a roughly 10-month fight to remain in one last building on Přednádraží street in Ostrava, the Romani families left there (about 20 people) have decided this week to definitely move out. Nonprofit organizations involved with them, however, do not want to give up on the matter and are considering filing a lawsuit against the role played by the authorities in the eviction process.  full story

Czech Republic: Platform for Social Housing says society needs homes

Ostrava, 21.5.2013 23:22, (ROMEA) The creation of a Platform for Social Housing was announced today on Přednádraží Street in Ostrava. The Platform brings together experts, nonprofit organizations and the public with the aim of defining social housing and introducing it in the Czech Republic.  full story

Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner: The term “inadaptable” deprives Roma of their humanity

Lety u Písku, 19.5.2013 12:00, (ROMEA) Dear survivors, dear ladies and gentlemen,  full story

Czech Republic: Preparatory committee for new Romani Democratic Party meets

Prague, 14.5.2013 6:59, (ROMEA) The Mediafax agency reports that Romani people in the Czech Republic are preparing to establish a new political party, the Romani Democratic Party (Romská demokratická strana – RDS). Miroslav Tancoš, the head of the party’s preparatory committee, said the group met in Prague on 11 May 2013 and intends to register with the Czech Interior Ministry this week.  full story

videoCzech Republic: “Slave of Race” initiative holds “happenings” to launch petition

Ostrava/Prague, 7.5.2013 0:28, (ROMEA) A newly-created initiative called “Slave of Race” (Otrokem rasy) launched its activity today with two happenings, one in front of the Czech Interior Ministry in Prague and another in front of the Ostrava town hall, where people sought signatures on a petition in support of those remaining in the Přednádraží ghetto. Because the situation in Ostrava has drastically deteriorated, the initiative is focusing its activities on that topic.  full story

Czech municipality closing residential hotels, hundreds face homelessness

Ostrava, 6.5.2013 19:32, (ROMEA) News server iDNES.cz reports that the Ostrava-Jih municipality has joined Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz in its plans to close its residential hotels even though their residents have nowhere to go. Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz is the municipal department in Ostrava with the highest number of residential hotels. As news server Romea.cz previously reported, the quarter has been doing its best for some time to systematically push impoverished people, Romani and “white”, out of its territory.  full story

Czech municipality claims it offered evictees leases, they say otherwise

Ostrava, 6.5.2013 18:20, (ROMEA) Representatives of the remaining occupants of Ostrava’s Přednádraží ghetto met today with Vice-Mayor Petra Bernfeldová, who told them that the central municipal department of Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz will not be leasing vacant apartments to most of those recently evicted from the last occupied building there. Some of the evictees are allegedly indebted and therefore do not qualify for a municipally-owned apartment, while others either allegedly rejected previous offers of municipal leases or never applied for them in the first place.  full story

Czech landlord leases property on Monday, evicts tenants on Friday

Ostrava, 3.5.2013 23:16, (ROMEA) Oldřich Roztočil, the owner of the buildings in the ghetto on Přednádraží Street in Ostrava, has called on those occupying the last remaining building there, number 8, to move out by 17:00 today. Roztočil said that if the people do not leave he is prepared to turn to the police and request their assistance in removing people from the premises.  full story

Analysis: Czech political parties cleanse municipal district of “Romani garbage”

Ostrava/Prague, 28.4.2013 4:06, (ROMEA) The municipal department of Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz, which is governed by the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) together with the Ostravak (“Natives of Ostrava”) movement, is gradually “purging” this central section of Ostrava of “Romani garbage”. At least, that is how developer and municipal department councilor Lukáš Semerák (Ostravak movement) expressed himself last year when explaining his desire to purchase buildings on Přednádraží Street and his purchase of an apartment building on Palackého Street just a few steps away.  full story

Commentary: Czech Senator Okamura’s view of people in need

Prague, 28.4.2013 1:35, (ROMEA) After November 1989, people in this country had high expectations. For example, they expected that the practices of a police state would come to an end. Unfortunately, those expectations haven’t been met, which is why I am constantly raising that issue.  full story

videoVideo recording of discussion on social residential hotels in Czech Republic

Prague, 24.4.2013 18:44, (ROMEA) On Monday 15 April 2013 a discussion was held about so-called “social residential hotels” in the Czech Republic. The event in the conference space of HUB PRAHA, called “Garbage dumps for those we don’t want”, discussed whether the state should support such facilities or close them.  full story

Commentary: Should the state obstruct or support social residential hotels?

Prague, 23.4.2013 18:58, (ROMEA) At a debate in the Czech Republic last week attended by activists, experts, representatives of the public administration and nonprofit organizations, Deputy Regional Development Minister Miroslav Kalous (Civic Democrats - ODS) presented the ministry’s current plans in the area of social housing. Kalous said the ministry's aim is to meet the demand of people who need to live in residential hotels and “to help children and their mothers not end up on the street.”  full story

Czech Republic: Romani tenants overcharged for substandard housing

Liberec, 16.4.2013 5:38, (ROMEA) Romani tenants of tenements in excluded localities on the outskirts of Liberec, a town of 100 000 in the Czech Republic, pay almost CZK 9 000 in rent for studio apartments, often with mold-infested walls. According to a study mapping the ghetto in Liberec, about 1 100 people are living in such conditions in several residential hotels and 14 apartment buildings.  full story