Controversial Romani community member convenes small demo in front of the Office of the Czech Govt, other Romani activists ask that the community not be judged by his behavior
On Wednesday afternoon approximately 70 protesters assembled in front of the Office of the Government, about 50 of them Romani, for a demonstration convened by controversial Romani community member David Mezei. Those participating expressed their disagreement with the current Government and with the presence of temporarily protected Ukrainians in the Czech Republic.
In addition to Mezei, speakers at the demonstration included Denis Novák of the Round Table Alliance (Aliance Kulatého stolu) and Miroslav Tancoš, chair of the Roma Democratic Party, which has had its activity suspended by the authorities. The demonstration began after 14:00 CET and ended sometime around 17:00; another demonstration with a different convener is scheduled to be held in front of the Office of the Czech Government on Thursday, 13 July.
In his speech, Tancoš attacked the cabinet of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, calling it the worst Government since 1989. “They are traitors who should be held criminally liable,” said Tancoš, who attacked Czech Government Commissioner for Romani Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková as well.
“She is negotiating on behalf of Romani people, but she isn’t telling us what she is negotiating about. She has no business being there,” Tancoš said in one of several speeches made at the demonstration.
Tancoš also said he believes the Ukrainians should all be in Ukraine, fighting for their country. “They should not be pulling out their knives and machetes here. They are disgracing our Czech Romani nation,” he shouted.
David Mezei made more than one speech and gradually attacked “nonprofit organizations”, the current Government, and temporarily protected Ukrainians. “Nobody here is either a Fascist or a racist,” Mezei roared at the handful of protesters, who did in fact include right-wing extremists from the Workers’ Youth (Dělnická mládež), the youth organization of the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS) led by Tomáš Vandas.
Mezei then attacked Fuková as well. “Fuková is not here for the Roma. She needs to go away, we don’t want her,” he shouted.
Other speakers included Tibor Behár of Přerov, the pro-Russian activist Pavel Matějka, and Denis Novák of the Round Table Alliance, a representative of which attended the DSSS convention in 2022. Protesters also signed four petitions, one of which was against Fuková representing the Roma as the Czech Government Commissioner for Romani Minority Affairs.
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Jaroslav Miko: Majority, don’t apply the principle of collective guilt, don’t judge the Roma by the extremist Mezei
Several Romani community members criticized the course of the demonstration and its organizer on social media. Others mentioned that they considered it positive so few Romani people had attended.
“Today’s anti-Ukrainian demonstration in Prague convened by the Romani extremist David Mezei was attended by roughly 50 Romani people. That’s great news, because despite all the disinformation being disseminated through the ether of the Internet with the speed of an avalanche, the vast majority of Roma are preserving their own common sense and not applying the primitive principle of collective guilt to the Ukrainians,” Romani activist Jaroslav Miko posted.
“It would be fine if this fact would be appreciated by the Czech majority as well. Please, don’t judge the Romani community on the basis of the individuals who may be louder, but who otherwise are totally in the minority within the Romani community!” Miko said.
Cyril Koky, Specialist Officer for National Minorities at the Central Bohemian Regional Authority, said he was startled to see Romani people shouting the slogan “This home is ours!” at the demonstration. “We seem to have absolutely forgotten about how many extremists shouted that very same slogan several years ago during the anti-Romani demonstrations in Litvínov, Varnsdorf, and České Budějovice in droves. We [Roma] greatly disliked that, as I know very well,” Koky.
“I comprehend that no small number of people are angry and concerned for their security. However, I want to remind us all that we are not living in the Wild West. In every civilized country, such cases are addressed by the police, the courts, and nobody else – that’s just how it is. Somebody wants to address this situation by shouting at demonstrations and on social media, and somebody else wants to address this situation by meeting around the same table, where it is necessary to use rationality, arguments, and above all, a cool head. I am not happy about this entire situation and I greatly regret it,” Koky said.
