Roma and Ukrainians express resistance to violence and xenophobia at joint event in Prague
About 40 people attended a "happening" in Prague this afternoon. The joint assembly between Romani people and Ukrainians, which was attended by Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková, was an absolutely peaceful affair.
Members of both communities took photos together, their representatives read statements, and together they honored the memory of the Romani man who died a violent death last weekend in Brno. “Today’s commemorative assembly demonstrates that even in difficult times we can stand shoulder to shoulder and express our emotions and ideas in an atmosphere of peace and respect. This demonstration of solidarity and mutual regard is proof of our strong communities and our humanity,” Fuková said.
The chair of the Czechoslovak Romani Union, Karel Karika, said Romani people and Ukrainians wanted to make a joint statement against violence and xenophobia. He touched on the fact that from the beginning of the refugee crisis, tensions have been boiling between the Romani and Ukrainian communities.
Karika also drew attention to the fact that certainly not all Romani people harbor such feelings. “This has to do with the marginalized parts of our minority who have a limited understanding of all this,” he said.
According to Karika, such people do their best to explain what is happening by relying on social media. Bohdan Rajčinec, secretary of the Ukrainian Initiative in the Czech Republic (Ukrajinská iniciativa v Česku), said he believes cooperation between the communities can progress and there are many cases where relations are good between them.
Rajčinec said he does not believe the incident in Brno will influence that cooperation at all. Those attending the assembly included the Romani activist Josef Miker, Romani activist and commentator Jaroslav Miko, and a volunteer civil society member of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs, Gwendolyn Albert.
Romani figures and organizations have repeatedly reminded the community that an entire minority cannot be condemned for the actions of one person. Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) previously that she has faith in the investigation of last week’s crime by police.
One week ago, just before the start of the Ignis Brunensis fireworks festival at the Brno Reservoir, a 37-year-old foreign national whom the media identified as a Ukrainian stabbed two people during a brawl. One of the Romani youths subsequently died of his injuries in hospital.
Police arrested the suspect on the spot and the court remanded him into custody on Tuesday. The incident has sparked a sense of grievance and anti-Ukrainian reactions among some Romani people.
