Eight people were injured and 136 detained during a clash between anti-Romany demonstrators and policemen in Ceske Budejovice that ended in the night, police spokeswoman Lenka Holicka told CTK yesterday. The police launched criminal proceedings in six cases on suspicion of assaulting a public officer. No one has been accused yet and all detained persons have been released, Holicka added. Misdemeanours were committed in 130 cases and another 22 people were brought to the police station to find out their identity, Holicka added. Policemen seized 25 weapons from the demonstrators, such as knuckles, gas weapons, baseball bats and rods. Ceske Budejovice Mayor Juraj Thoma said the police intervention was fully professional.
„Doctors treated eight people from the demonstration in a hospital in Ceske Budejovice on Saturday – six activists and two policemen. All but one who suffered concussion were released from hospital. The others mostly suffered bruises and lacerations,“ hospital spokeswoman Ivana Kerlesova told CTK. Thirteen people, ten activists and three policemen, were treated in hospital with light injuries after the first anti-Romany rally in Ceske Budejovice a week ago, on June 29.
On Saturday evening, the police raided on the participants in an anti-Romany demonstration at the Maj housing estate. They moved to the area, inhabited by many Romanies, after the Town Hall had their demonstration in the centre dispersed since it had not been officially announced beforehand and permitted. The demonstrators wanted to march to Maj together, but the police prevented it. Then they went there in small groups. Hundreds of policemen were deployed at the housing estate over the protests. Armoured and mounted police pushed out the demonstrators trying to separate them from the housing estate’s inhabitants. Policemen used tear gas against the demonstrators. Police patrols stayed at the Maj housing estate in the whole night. They keep monitoring the situation yesterday.
Tension has existed at the Maj housing estate with some 22,000 residents, including about 400 Romanies, since June 21 when an incident between Romany and majority children and then adult people occurred on a local playground. Some local inhabitants complain about the problematic cohabitation with Romanies. Several civic associations and church organisations operate at the estate. Their field workers primarily focus on free-time activities of children and youth from the minority community. A number of civic groups have condemned the anti-Romany demonstrations.
Source: Prague Daily Monitor
Date: 08.07.2013