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July 20th, 2008
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Neo-Nazis enjoy an escorted stroll through Plzeň

Subdued protesters get lost, have dinner and take a nap
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By Ondřej Bouda
Staff Writer, The Prague Post

Last Saturday, I set out for Plzeň, west Bohemia, to cover the long anticipated neo-Nazi march. I was quite apprehensive, because Mayor Pavel Rödl — who unsuccessfully attempted to ban the event — had announced beforehand, “Anyone who wants to should come and protest against the neo-Nazis. Just leave your kids at home.” He stopped just short of suggesting torches and pitchforks.
The train from Prague looked like the remains of a catastrophic crash; obviously Czech Railways was not going to waste good new cars and provided pre-trashed ones. Two policemen were onboard but couldn’t keep an eye on the whole train at once. As local neo-Nazis boarded at every stop, they greeted the train with a Nazi salute while their comrades responded from the inside.
At one stop, three anarchists entered the car, looking around with unfocused eyes that suggested recent marijuana consumption. With suicidal stupidity, they sat down next to the neo-Nazis — who were drinking — and tried to start up a conversation. The neo-Nazis responded by attacking the anarchists with punches. A shout went up: “Sieg Heil!” and the neo-Nazis chased after the anarchists, who locked themselves in a restroom.
Upon arrival in Plzeň, we were met by a large group of policemen, who checked the identity of each extremist and arrested the perpetrators of the fight. The neo-Nazis then set off for the bus station at Emil Škoda Square where the event was to convene. They were escorted by several policemen, but got lost and had to call the organizers for directions, since none of the policemen would help.
I arrived at the square just as the 2 p.m. demonstration was scheduled to start. Of the expected 400 participants, only about 100 were present and they were easily outnumbered by journalists. Others had not made it due to train delays, so the organizers decided to postpone the event by an hour. Neo-Nazis, policemen and journalists alike waited out the rainy weather inside the bus terminal, where everything was closed and the only comfort was a lone coffee machine.
At 3 p.m., the demonstration finally started with comments from organizer Václav Bureš of the Worker’s Party: “We are here to fight for our freedom of speech.” Then hooded speakers took turns addressing the crowd of about 280 of their comrades, on topics ranging from communism to anti-Semitism.
“Some are more equal than others,” said one. “Their rich bank accounts provide for a lavish lifestyle while the working man suffers.”
“What makes Jews so special?” thundered another. “I fear they’re planning to build another Israel on our soil and we’ll be reduced to the fate of the Palestinians.”
On the move
The march, which set off at 3:30, was anti-climactic. The extremists were insulated by 1,000 policemen on foot, on horseback, with dogs and in armored vehicles. The neo-Nazis couldn’t even start a proper chant (their repeated lone attempts failed to catch on), and for a long time they walked through a deserted town.
They eventually reached the local synagogue, where Jewish activists, anarchists and citizens shouted them down. I was glad to see that many more anti-Nazi activists showed up than neo-Nazis. The police did a sterling job of keeping the two sides apart and the demonstration quickly passed through and ended in the main square at 4:30.
The police then escorted half of the neo-Nazis back to the bus station while others were taken by bus to the train. I was not so lucky and had to find my way back on foot. When I got to the station, the neo-Nazis were peacefully eating in local pubs. As soon as they got on the train for Prague, they fell asleep, tired by the day’s proceedings.
The trip was thus uneventful and I had time to wonder what makes so many young kids continue to embrace an almost exact copy of Goebbels’ propaganda. I realized that one of the hooded speakers gave a clue by hooking his convictions on recent events.  
“By decorating the Mašín brothers, the state has shown us that armed resistance is right,” he said. “As long as current political parties offer us only a corrupt version of government, we will grow ever stronger.”

Ondřej Bouda can be reached at news@praguepost.com


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