Czech Republic: Disinformers and extremists demonstrate again with racist, xenophobic demands to "end the planned dilution of the nation"
This third recent demonstration organized by the pro-Kremlin group called "Czech Republic First" did not attract as many people as the previous two events. The upper half of Prague's Wenceslas Square was full, but thinned out toward the tram tracks that bisect the square, and numbers did not exceed 20,000.
Just as during the previous two such demonstrations, leading figures of the Czech disinformation scene and extremists from the right wing alternated on the podium. After the official part of the assembly ended, some demonstrators attempted to assault a small group of counter-demonstrators near the National Museum and clashed with police.
Several dozen counter-demonstrators gathered at the museum carrying signs reading “Vrábel is lying to you” (“Vrábel vám lže“) and signs in support of Czech adoption of the euro, the Green Deal, and Ukraine. They also held Czech, EU and Ukrainain flags.
Some protesters whistled and yelled at the counter-protesters, some of whom were citizens of Ukraine. The Czech News Agency correspondent reported that police had to intervene against at least three such protesters and restrain them.
Police then tweeted that they arrested two people for misdemeanor behavior. Traffic on the highway that passes through the square was also momentarily stopped.
During the protest, petition stalls were set up on the square by the “Free Citizens Party” (Svobodní) party and by the presidential candidates Josef Skála (Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia – KSČM) and Alena Vitásková. People held signs reading “We don’t want a Government of national annihilation”, “War is for chumps and so is the Government” and “Stop inflation”.
The demonstrators chanted “Resign!”, “Shame!” and “We want peace!” Some held the flag of the KSČM.
A police helicopter monitored the square from above. The event was organized by Ladislav Vrábel, who according to information published by the Czech media is dealing with multiple collections proceedings.
Speaking from the podium, Vrábel reiterated the demonstrators’ racist demands for an “end to the planned dilution of the nation”. When he pronounced that demand, which is currently aimed against Ukrainians, demonstrators shouted their agreement.
“The mentality and the national customs and views of Czechs, Moravians and Silesians differ considerably from the customs and views of Ukrainians. These different approaches to life and the language barrier are dangerous elements for the peaceful coexistence of both nations on the territory of the Czech Republic,” Vrábel read from a list of racist, xenophobic demands which do not count on any other nationalities in the Czech Republic.
Former Czech Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek also put in an appearance during the assembly and at the beginning of his remarks alleged the estimated number of those participating in the protest was being undercounted by police. He criticized the remarks that had been made by the leaders of the governing coalition about the demonstrators, he criticized public broadcaster Czech Television, and he criticized the Army’s planned commissions of military hardware.
After falling out of high-level politics, Paroubek established a new group called NS-LEV 21, which later joined forces with the Workers’ Social Justice Party (DSSS), an extremist entity. Other speakers at the 28 October event included astrologer Antonín Baudyš, Vladimíra Vítová of the Alliance of National Forces (Aliance národních sil – see below), KSČM chair Kateřina Konečná, Pynelopi Cimprichová of the Swiss Democracy (Švýcarská demokracie) movement, former Czech MP Lubomír Volný (Volný blok), the actor Ivan Vyskočil, MEP Hynek Blaško (a presidential candidate who recently resigned his membership in the “Freedom and Direct Democracy” movement), and presidential candidate Skála; immunologist Jaroslav Turánek sent a message but did not attend in person.
