Black Flag 217 index
May Day in Prague
May Day in Prague
Since 1990 Strelecky island in the centre of Prague has been the traditionalvenue for anarchists from all over the Czech Republic to commemorate May Day.However, this year, the growing Czech neo-nazi movement organised a publiccounter-demo with the slogan "Smash the Reds". Blood and Honour were alsoinvolved in organising this legal demo, for which permission was granted bythe authorities.
Officially, the nazi demonstration was against comunnism and capitalism, butone of the organisers said,"relations between skinheads and anarchists havebeen quiet and calm.. now it is time to change this situation".
The antifasicist demonstration began at 11am, the same time as the fascistdemonstration, a mile away. Before this, a group of antifascists blocked theentrance to the island. Then at 10.45 the police attacked the 100-strongblockade and violently removed antifacists from the bridge above StreleckyIsland. Unfortunately the split within the antifascist movement meant therewere only a hundred antifascists on the bridge and others at the island.After several speeches there, by Antifascist Action, Czechoslovakia AnarchistFederation and Federation of Social Anarchists, 400 marched off to the end ofthe bridge.
The police blocked the bridge, so everyone quickly moved through the city tothe other end of the bridge and sat down on the road from there to the city.
Although the neonazis had not sought permission for a march, the policestarted to clear a way for them by attacking the crowd with tear gas,truncheons and horses. In defence, molotov cocktails were thrown. Ninepolice were slightly injured and 21 antifascists were detained, four of whomwere charged.
An article from the Czech paper, Hospodarske Noviny, described the events asthe police "protecting skinheads right to demonstrate," ironic given that thenazis had claimed they would wipe the anarchists out of Prague on this day.
The paper reported that the skinheads wanted to cleanse society of "liberaldemocratic dirt" and "imported multiculturalism."