Convicted criminals and Nazis are maintaining order on the streets of a town. That sentence sounds like it describes 1930s Germany, but it is neither the first nor the last parallel that can be drawn between today, the interwar era, and the course of daily life during both totalitarian periods in Central Europe.
Who governs in Duchcov?
… A murderer preaches morality on the corner,
the guard marches before the prison gates,
on the military armor the black inscription reads
that the first of the knights is His Majesty the Hangman.
These lyrics by Karel Kryl (from the song "His Majesty the Hangman" – "Veličenstvo kat"), a poet and visionary who was also a democrat and a humanist, are starting to come true in today’s Duchcov. A political party interested in introducing a totalitarian order in this country, the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS), is sending patrols through the town, and the streets where Romani people live are gradually becoming a prison in which the guards are convicted criminals and Nazis.
Romani families are also being randomly checked by employees of the town hall sent out to boss them around. Duchcov is back in the news as a town in which open racists who speak with impunity about murdering Romani people are doing their best to manage life there according to their own notions.
Thanks to Mayor Jitka Bártová, the racists are succeeding to a certain degree. Members of the local DSSS have decided to patrol the streets and monitor the upholding of order in the name of a project called "Safe Streets" (Bezpečné ulice), but how can the streets be safe when one of the people patrolling them is convicted con artist Jindřich Svoboda?
Who’s preaching here about morality?
Jindřich "Pinďa" Svoboda, chair of the DSSS in Duchcov, was recently facing between two and eight years in prison for fraud. The court in Teplice ultimately sentenced him to three years in prison, suspended for five years.
The verdict was the first confirmation that Svoboda had struck a deal with the state prosecutor. "I incorrectly claimed travel costs related to my travel to Thomayerova Hospital in Prague, which I was visiting for chemotherapy," Svoboda told the court as part of his plea bargain.
Svoboda was actually being treated for cancer in Prague. Between April 2008 and February of this year, he received almost CZK 950 000 from his health insurer for trips that either never happened or for which he was not entitled to reimbursement.
Svoboda will have to pay the insurance company back. Czech Radio first reported on the verdict this past February.
On his Facebook profile, Svoboda has clearly stated that he is attempting to see Romani people murdered off in the Czech Republic, posting the following commentary: "So finally it’s out! The secret video of the assault in Duchcov! Those black fuckers! They should all be massacred! How much longer will we tolerate this? I propose that it is time to unite and fucking give them what for! I’m going to go throw up and then I’m going to sharpen my knives…."
Elsewhere on Facebook Svoboda posted that he had stockpiled enough weapons to use against Romani people: "I’ll bring them, never fear, I also got some pepper spray and stun guns… I didn’t buy any ammunition, I’m waiting until they permit shooting and then I’ll buy out the whole store…"
DSSS in Duchcov: Murdering off Romani people
We do not know whether Svoboda’s friend Jan Dufek is also personally participating in these street patrols, but it can be presumed that he is, given that the patrols were conceived of and are being implemented by the local party cell of which Dufek is a member. Even if he were not out on patrol, he most probably certainly approves of the local chair’s actions.
Why is Dufek important? He and Svoboda are the conveners of the anti-Romani actions, including marches, that the Nazis so adore in this country.
Dufek has also spoken of murdering off Romani people. After a public discussion in the town, Míra Brož of the Konexe association approached Dufek and Svoboda, saying: "Gentlemen, every march really makes it worse and escalates it."
Jan Dufek responded: "That’s good, at least the people will finally rise up and murder them all." It can be unequivocally concluded from this statement and Dufek and Svoboda have been convening the anti-Romani demonstrations to deteriorate and exacerbate the situation to such a degree that "whites" will start murdering Romani people.
According to Anti-Fascist Action, both men are neo-Nazis. "Dufek is a longtime neo-Nazi activist. He has been previously convicted of giving the Nazi salute, weapons possession, and welfare fraud. He has reportedly also previously participated, along with a larger group of people, in attacking a group of Romani people in Slovakia. While standing on the main square in the town of Krupina there, he first insulted Romani people, gave the Nazi salute, threatened to shoot them in the head, and then physically assaulted them," Antifa wrote in a press release earlier this year.
Mayor Bártová a mystery
Mayor Bártová has carefully distanced herself from the DSSS patrols. "… During the next few days the [police] assistants will receive the necessary equipment and they will stop using the green safety vests during the day. There is a risk that the [police] assistants might be mistaken for DSSS patrols. The patrols undertaken by the members and promoters of that political party are purely their own initiative and their activity is not connected to the town leadership in any way," the mayor has posted to the official municipal website.
Is this really the case? Bártová is a mysterious figure who oscillates between what "the citizens want" (which in this case is the obvious continuation of Nazi extermination methods) and more democratic manners.
Of course, she sometimes interprets democracy very loosely: She is evidently under the impression that bossing Romani families around by constantly monitoring them (even families that have not violated any rules of coexistence) might change things for the better. She has also done her best to bring Romani people to the table with those citizens of Duchcov who would prefer to murder them off (a meeting which the Romani residents understandably refused).
Might such an idea not be entirely sane? Bártová sees nothing wrong with it.
The mayor was surprised that anyone might have something against DSSS representatives participating in such a round table (to "negotiate" with Romani people) since the party has not been banned. "I can think whatever I want about various political parties, but that doesn’t mean I won’t meet with them," she said.
"… at this moment I really don’t want to deal with those boys’ pasts, their opinions, their positions. I really want to resolve the situation in Duchcov," Bártová told news server iDNES.cz
The Nazis don’t bother her. As we can see, convicted criminals don’t bother her either, as long as they are "white".
The racists are not interested in discussing and resolving things, as we know from our historical experience, they are interested in gaining power so they can carry out their perverse ideology. Even in Duchcov, therefore, it is necessary to eject the Nazis back to the fringes of society, as they simply do not belong among respectable people.
When someone is both a convicted criminal and a Nazi, such rejection is even more necessary. On the contrary, what is needed is an attempt to create a platform where normal people, "blacks" and "whites", will speak with one another, because sooner or later they will always manage to reach agreement.
Dufek in the correct light
Let’s look at Jan Dufek of the Duchcov DSSS a little more closely. We’ll start with samples of his opinions, as posted to his Facebook profile:
"Today it’s all the same whether it’s gypsies or Muslims. The white race is dying. It’s not as grand and proud as it was thanks to the humanists and pseudo-guardians. How much longer will this dark age last??"
"Just try voting for that JEW FIŠER!!! I don’t understand how anyone can like that gypsy rhythm or that cunt Rolinsová!!??
Posted beneath a photograph of an explosion:
Dufek: "Ha ha I already know how we’ll get the gypsies out of Dux"
Jan Fischer responds to this post: "Share the missiles around"
Dufek responds: "Fišo I’d be very glad to, one batch of missiles per town"
Fischer responds: "If by one batch you mean a full B52"
The Antifa.cz website reported in more detail on the neo-Nazi affiliations of Jan Dufek in a January 2008 article featuring photos of Dufek proudly showing off his weapons collection and claiming he was preparing for a so-called race war. The photos show Dufek in a helmet with a Nazi swastika and with Antonín Nedvěd of the neo-Nazi National Resistance (Národní odpor – NO) movement in Prague when Nedvěd was out of prison (his normal place of residence in between committing violent crimes).
