Brno, Czech Republic: Commemoration of Romani man stabbed to death last weekend
Several hundred people, the vast majority of them Romani, met today for an informal commemoration in Brno at the Janáček Theater to honor the memory of the young Romani man who died as the result of a tragic conflict one week ago. The event was organized by the Brno Team initiative in place of a previously announced demonstration that was cancelled by its organizer.
ROMEA TV broadcast live online from the assembly. Just before 14:00 CET, the family of the deceased came to the theater with his portrait and people lit candles around it.
Jozef Daniel, director of Brno Team, emphasized more than once in his remarks that all the members of any group should never be tarred with the same brush and rejected the principle of collective guilt. “An individual perpetrated what happened, we must not condemn the entire community. We will not ever condemn them as a group the way they condemn us,” he told the crowd, who at one moment chanted “Black, white, let’s unite!” („Černí bílí, spojme síly!”)
However, while Daniel repeatedly called on people to calmly commemorate the deceased, some of those present expressed their disagreement emotionally. Different speakers took the floor and slogans were heard that were generalizations against temporarily protected Ukrainians and the Government of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
At one moment the crowd began to chant against the Ukrainians who have fled the Russian invasion of their country for the Czech Republic: “We don’t want them here!” (“My je tady nechceme”). Immediately, Daniel interjected to say the commemorative assembly was not being held for that purpose.
People in the crowd asked “What are the Ukrainian men doing here if they are meant to be fighting for their country?” They also expressed the belief that the Government has failed when it comes to receiving temporarily protected Ukrainians.
“The Government should resign!” members of the crowd shouted. Those in attendance also criticized the fact that nobody from the city leadership came to the gathering.
In addition to Romani community members, disinformation purveyors and extremists also gathered in front of the theater and took advantage of the situation to spread xenophobic sentiment. Some Romani people present disliked that and disputes arose between the groups.
“Stop spreading disinformation, this is supposed to be a peaceful commemoration, not a political demonstration,” one Romani man said. Romani figures and organizations have been repeatedly reminding the community not to condemn an entire minority over the actions of one person.
Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková previously told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) that she has faith in the investigation police are conducting of the crime. Despite that, at the assembly in Brno today speeches were made expressing concern as to whether the case will actually be fairly investigated.
Last Saturday, shortly before the start of the Ignis Brunensis fireworks festival at the Brno Reservoir, a 37-year-old foreign national whom the media reported is Ukrainian stabbed two people during a brawl. The Romani youth subsequently died of his injuries in hospital.
Police arrested the suspect at the scene and the court remanded him into custody on Tuesday. News of the stabbing sparked a sense of grievance and an anti-Ukrainian reaction among some Romani people.
