Neo-Nazi march prevented in Prague

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Sunday November 11, 2007 23:32

by Anti-Fascist

AntiFa and others halt far-right Rally

Anarchists clash with Neo-Nazis and prevent them from progressing at the Faculty of Law of the University on the edge of the Jewish Quarter in Prague
Videos available at
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DYY27ZCaSrY
http://www.abc.com.au/news/video/2007/11/11/2087521.htm

Arrested demonstrator

Several thousand people marched in a counter-demonstration on Staurday in protest against teh agthering of the far-right MND group.

More than 1,500 armed police officers sealed off the Jewish quarter, where members of the far-right Movement for Young Nationalist Democrats (MND) had planned to meet.

Earlier Saturday, Officers had also arrested a number of skinheads, some armed with batons, truncheons and home-made molotov cocktails, said CTK agency.

Some clashes did however break out between anarchists and neo-Nazis in several streets in the central part of town
Anarchists also clashed with police in other parts of the city, injuring several people.

"The march was unacceptable," said Pavel Bem,the citys mayor who joined the counter-demonstration against the neo-Nazis. He had come to keep an eye on the situation but also to express his indignation.

"We need to cultivate the national memory to avoid what happened in the past," he added.

The date chosen for the march, November 10 was the anniversary of the day in 1938 when Nazis across Germany and in parts of Austria ransacked Jewish homes, shops and synagogues and killed more than 100 Jews.

The pogrom became known as Kristallnacht (Crystal Night) because of the number of windows smashed.

The MND march, officially to protest the Czech military presence in Iraq, was banned after a series of court judgements, but the neo-Nazis nevertheless maintained their call for a demonstration.

Some of the counter-demonstrators wore the yellow stars of David that Jews were forced to wear during the Nazi era.

"Never Again," proclaimed several signs in front of one of Prague's synagogues, near a museum dedicated to the memory of the more than 77,000 Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide from former Czechoslovakia.

Czech authorities had ordered tighter border controls after press reports suggested neo-Nazis from neighbouring countries might travel to Prague for the march.

Three busloads of far-right supporters from Germany were spotted at the border where Czech police dispatched an escort to check their final destination, the country's CTK news agency reported.

Many Anti-Fascists were also injured and arrested as the clashes with police continued into the night.