antigypsyism

Czech Republic: Simultaneous neo-Nazi demos in Ostrava and Plzeň

Ostrava/Plzeň, 1.3.2014 19:14, (ROMEA) Today approximately 70 neo-Nazis passed through Plzeň during an event announced as a march to uphold the rights of all "decent citizens" of the Czech Republic and to protest the ROMEA organization. The neo-Nazis set out at 14:45 from Republika Square and marched down Františkánská, Martinská, Americká and Tylova Streets to Emil Škoda Square.  full story

Czech NGO files complaint against paper over racist article

Prague, 13.2.2014 17:51, (ROMEA) The Prostějovský Večerník ("Prostějov Evening News") daily paper has once again had a complaint filed against it over a racist article. As with the previous case, the complaint was filed by the NESEHNUTÍ nongovernmental organization, which believes that an article headlined "GYPSY HYENAS rob woman of crutches!" violates the law.  full story

Czech Govt to fight antigypsyism and anti-Semitism, beef up ombud and social housing

Prague, 11.2.2014 17:47, (ROMEA) Addressing social housing, fighting marginalization and a robust performance against antigypsyism and intolerance are all promised in the Czech Government's draft program declaration. The cabinet also wants to get a handle on the "trafficking in poverty at overpriced residential hotels."  full story

Czech MP visits convict doing time for racially motivated murder

Prague, 25.1.2014 10:32, (ROMEA) Czech MP Tomio Okamura, chair of the "Dawn of Direct Democracy" (Úsvit přímé demokracie) movement and its vice-chair, Jaroslav Novák, visited Vlastimil Pechanec today in prison in Pardubice. Pechanec was convicted of perpetrating the racially-motivated murder of Ota Absolon, a Romani man, in 2001 in Svitavy.  full story

Slovakia wants obligatory work for Roma on welfare

Slovakia, 1.12.2013 19:08, (ROMEA) Last Tuesday the ruling Směr (Direction) party in Slovakia was joined by opposition MPs to override a presidential veto of an amendment requiring work in exchange for aid to those in material distress. Unemployed persons will have to work at least 32 hours a month in order to receive the state benefit of EUR 61.60.  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

Will there ever be more Romani politicians in Germany?

Berlin/Prague, 12.11.2013 22:51, (ROMEA) It is no easy task to write about the active participation of Roma and Sinti in German politics, not that the information on this topic is kept secret somehow. The problem, rather, is that there have not been many activities to date that could be considered essentially political.  full story

Czech Christian Democrats: Ethnic origin must never be a parameter for judging anyone

Prague, 8.11.2013 1:02, (ROMEA) In a recent interview for the anti-Romani tabloid periodical Parlamentní listy, Czech Senator Jiří Čunek has once again expressed his peculiar approach toward Romani people. Čunek told the tabloid that he would like to be appointed by the party to a cabinet post so he could address the issue of Romani people.  full story

Czech director defends his depiction of Romani people in tv serial

Prague, 6.11.2013 0:17, (ROMEA) Lukáš Senft, a documentary filmmaker and student at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague has written an open letter to the creators of the television serial "Sanitka 2", screenwriter Ivan Hubač and director Filip Renč. In his letter, which was also published by news server Romea.cz, Senft takes the serial's creators to task for lying about Romani people and depicting them as a bloodthirsty, dangerous, foreign and incomprehensible minority.  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 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

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

Czech Republic: UIA conference supports Roma in Ostrava

Prague, 30.10.2013 0:55, (ROMEA) United for Intercultural Action (UIA) is a European network against fascism, nationalism and racism that supports migrants and refugees and brings together more than 560 organizations in 46 European countries. The organization is currently holding its international conference in the Czech Republic, which is scheduled to end on 30 October.  full story

Czech President: More police needed in areas of conflict

Chomutov, 27.10.2013 18:06, (ROMEA) Speaking on Friday during a discussion with local residents in the town of Chomutov, Czech President Miloš Zeman said increasing the number of police officers could be a solution to situations in regions of conflict where non-Romani people are complaining about their co-existence with the Romani minority. Chomutov locals have complained primarily about problems with crime in some parts of town and in nearby Jirkov.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis to march on state holiday Monday

Plzeň, 26.10.2013 18:45, (ROMEA) Neo-Nazis are scheduled to march through several towns in the Czech Republic on the state holiday Monday, including Ostrava and Plzeň, where they are expected to march through the Bory quarter. Plzeň Police spokesperson Jana Tomková told the Czech News Agency yesterday that police are preparing security measures involving the Aliens' Police, an anti-conflict team, canine units, criminal investigators, riot police and traffic police.  full story

Center for Romani Studies: Most Czechs do not consider Roma a natural part of society

Rokycany, 23.10.2013 1:59, (ROMEA) The Center for Romani Studies (Středisko romských studií - SRS) has produced a report summarizing its current findings in the field of Romani issues. The aim of the report is to raise the topic of antigypsyism and its impacts on the security of Romani people in the Czech Republic.  full story

Czech Republic: "Colorful Ostrava" to counter-demonstrate against neo-Nazis on state holiday

Ostrava, 22.10.2013 21:54, (ROMEA) On Monday 28 October 2013 there won't just be a neo-Nazi event in Ostrava, but also an assembly called "Colorful Ostrava" (Barevná Ostrava). The event will begin at 14:00 CET on Svatopluk Čech Square in the Přívoz quarter of Ostrava, which is a frequent target of neo-Nazi violence  full story

Commentary: In the Czech Republic, the Roma's image could get them killed

Prague, 21.10.2013 16:38, (ROMEA) This past spring the third - and so far the greatest - wave of anti-Romani protests has risen up in the Czech Republic. The first such wave, from 2007-2009, resulted in what was the most serious arson attack to date on a Romani family here in the town of Vítkov, and in the arrest of the perpetrators in August 2009. The second such wave, from 2011-2012, ended with a march by 2 000 people through the town of Břeclav, where locals and out-of-towners passionately protested an alleged attack by Romani people on a 15-year-old boy. One month later, it was proven that he had invented the entire story.  full story

Czech Republic: Civil trial opens over compensation for brutalized Romani family

Plzeň, 19.10.2013 19:52, (ROMEA) On 16 October the civil trial began in Plzeň in the case of compensation for a brutal attack on a Romani family in Nýrsko in 2011. Last year a criminal court in Klatovy gave defendants Václav Boublík and Jiří Miškovič suspended sentences for their roles in the incident.  full story