Following the model used by activists in the German city of Dresden, a group of students from the Czech town of Nový Bydžov is planning to form a human chain on 12 March, the date right-wing radicals are scheduled to assemble there. One of the organizers has told news server Romea.cz the students plan to prevent the extremists from marching through the town. "Through this action, we want to non-violently express that we as citizens of Nový Bydžov and neighboring towns are able to resolve our problems ourselves and that we are under no circumstances in favor of a neo-Nazi party or organization exploiting these particular problems in order to gain publicity," one of the students told Romea.cz. "Our aim is ideally to form a human chain around the square as was done in Dresden." The students are aware of the problem that has occurred in the town but are convinced it should be resolved through dialogue and that the situation is not so oppressive as to deserve the media response it has been given. "For the time being we are a group of three students from Nový Bydžov and people from 'alternative' circles (the hard-core punk scene) in Hradec Králové are doing their best to help us.
We would love to have local residents of all ages come to this event as well as anti-racist people from all over the country. However, I must emphasize that the aim is a non-violent form of protest, such as creating a human chain around the square. Maybe we will even be lucky enough that the event will become an opportunity for discussing the situation with one another, exchanging experiences, finding some sort of solution. From my own experience I know that most of the local Roma people are dissatisfied with what has been going on in the town recently and they would also like to contribute to resolving the situation," the student told Romea.cz. The students want to properly announce the event to the town hall as required by law. "We will announce the event this week so someone else doesn't also claim the place for our meeting in U Památníku street," the organizer said. Organizers do not want to guess how many might participate, but success for them would be the presence of around 200-300 people. They are primarily counting on the young Roma people with whom they are in contact to participate. "We usually see them in town or at school. They have promised to participate," the organizer said.
Romea
