The police are ready for anti-Romany rallies expected in five Czech cities
on Saturday, a spokeswoman for the police said. Anti-Romany gatherings,
organized by far-right extremists, are to take place in Ostrava, Plzeň,
České Budějovice, Jičín and Duchcov. The police have information about
the expected turnout at the rallies, the spokeswoman said, adding that riot
units of the police have prepared accordingly. In two places – in Ostrava
and Plzeň, Romany and human rights groups are planning to stage their own
protests against racism. The Czech Republic has seen a rise in ethnic
tensions in recent months; experts say the phenomenon is fuelled by falling
living standards of low-income strata of the society.