Czech Republic: No larger conflicts at ultra-right demo this past weekend

Yet another anti-Romani event took place in the northern Bohemian town of Duchcov this past Saturday. Once again, the event was convened by the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS), which decided to demonstrate against what it views as low sentences handed down against a group of assailants from Duchcov by the Regional Court. 

According to news server udalosti112.cz, several dozen DSSS supporters met at the assembly to listen to speeches by representatives of the local DSSS organization. With some small exceptions of local "provocateurs", those gathered listened to the speeches in complete calm before setting off on a march through the streets of the town. 

During the march the DSSS promoters chanted slogans against the Romani minority. Police had the demonstration fully under control. 

The number of police officers deployed outnumbered the demonstrators. "Taking into consideration the demonstrations that happened last year in Duchcov, we didn’t want to underestimate the security situation, so we deployed approximately 100 officers during the operation to keep an eye on the peaceful course of the assembly. Police patrols also checked individuals and vehicles heading into town, and during the checks that morning we confiscated seven weapons, for example, a ‘knuckleduster’, a machete, a pocketknife and a tonfa," said Daniel Vítek, spokesperson for the Teplice Police.       

The event was attended by approximately 100 people total, including the anti-Fascist and anti-racist activists from the Konexe association, who organized a program for children during the demonstration and issued a joint declaration in which they rejected hate marches in Duchcov, warned that real estate prices in town are falling because of the tensions, said they would not be out in public during the demonstration, and called on the media to report on what happens objectively. "The Konexe civic association will not be erecting a podium today and there will not be any music – we will be supporting Romani families inside their residences. Konexe has prepared activities for the Romani children in a secure location in order to distract them from today’s events," the statement from Konexe read.