News Headlines

May 7th, 2008 | Current Issue

Ticket to ride
Metro expansion aimed at getting commuters out of cars

Radar treaty to be signed in June
NATO head outlines base's European role in missile defense

Rent pushes out Cubist bookstore
Clothing store moves into House of the Black Madonna

Ministry adds new heritage sites
Offbeat choices nationwide make the cut in register of historical, cultural landmarks

Nonprofit seeks to honor slain journalist
Plans to name street after Russian Anna Politkovskaya could upset city residents

Canada may review its new open visa policy
Roma immigrants may force restrictions, according to magazine

Prime Minister pays surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan
Morale visit comes after one soldier killed, four injured in attack

BRIEFS Photo copyright KATEŘINA LÁNOVÁ Social Democrats laid out toys for the "deprived" neo-Nazis at Jiřího z Poděbrad. enlarge Certain parts of Prague felt a little bit like a city under siege May 1, with demonstrations, helicopters and police standing on street corners. But other sections of the city were largely quiet, as many residents headed for the countryside for an early taste of spring and a long holiday weekend. Anarchist and neo-Nazi groups held peaceful rallies, rock bands played and politicians pontificated. May 1 has been celebrated as Workers’ Day since 1890, when laborers in countries around the world went on strike to call for an eight-hour work day. In Czechoslovakia, mass marches were organized by the communist regime to celebrate the achievements of the working class. So it was no surprise when Communist Party regulars were the first to start celebrating this year. About 2,000 supporters met at the Křižík Fountain at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in Prague 7 early in the morning. They were entertained by a brass band and actress Jiřina Švorcová, a popular artist during communist times. Vojtěch Filip, the party’s chairman, thundered against the current government — criticizing its stand on a planned U.S. radar based on Czech soil and the return of Christian Democratic Chairman Jiří Čunek to government, despite a corruption scandal that forced him to step down in November. Next up in the same spot was the extreme, right-wing National Party, which promised a “street of shame” for the communist crowd. But, when only 20 National Party members showed up, their feeble protest went mostly unheard. Another political group seemed to have a much larger impact on the day’s proceedings. Young Social Democrats met at náměstí Míru in Prague 2 to march on to Jiřího z Poděbrad. There, they left brightly colored toys for the neo-Nazis who met there later in the day. The Social Democrats were joined by statesman Jiří Dienstbier, who voiced his support and wished them better luck then they had in 2007, when many were arrested after clashes with neo-Nazis during Workers’ Day demonstrations. As the small group marched through the streets, it was heavily guarded by policemen, who outnumbered marchers easily three to one. After arriving at Jiřího z Poděbrad, members set out the toys and read statements. A helicopter hovered overhead to keep watch on the “dangerous” group of protesters. “We believe neo-Nazis have failed to integrate properly into our society because they were deprived of a proper childhood,” said David Miler, an organizer of the march. “We have brought them toys so that they can play with something less dangerous and complete the process of socialization that most of us went through in kindergarten.” But, when neo-Nazis started arriving shortly before noon, reactions to the toys were extremely mixed. Members of the female wing of the group, who arrived first, were excited about the toys and wanted to play with the jump ropes, Frisbees and teddy bears. The men arrived and kicked toys aside, swearing angrily. Obviously, they didn’t get the joke and were badly in need of a crash course in socialization. Instead, leaders plunged into a series of bad speeches and even worse songs. A speaker from Germany who declined to give his name said, “In this day and age of Euro-terror from Brussels, the white power has to unite and resist Zionistic oppressors.” This got a huge cheer from the crowd but no reaction from police officers, even though they had vowed to disperse the group of 500 neo-Nazis if racist comments were made. When the demonstrators left on a planned march, they left the toys behind, despite promising to take them home and give them to orphans. At 3 p.m., Social Democrats convened at the same spot as the communists. It seemed many of the participants simply stayed put for the new round of speeches. Party Chairman Jiří Paroubek criticized the government and kept talking about issuing a “yellow card” to politicians in the upcoming Senate elections. The ruling Civic Democrats met in Prague 1 on Petřín Hill, the traditional place for May Day lovers, where a rock band played for the young crowd. While both parties sold sausages and beer, the Civic Democrats, despite a reputation as a hard-line capitalist party, sold food and drink for 20 Kč less than their socialist opposition. Evening brought an anarchist concert on the island of Císařská louka, where group members did not bother with political statements, but welcomed everyone — regardless of their political beliefs, color or religion. Families with young children listened to the music alongside punks with spiky blue hair. With plenty of beer, Fair Trade cookies and vegan hamburgers for everyone, the party lasted well into the night without any signs of conflict, defying police expectations. LATVIA Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated from a cruise ship caught in a sandbank 18 miles off the Latvian coast May 4, the BBC reported. The 30,000-ton liner set sail from the German port of Kiel en route to Riga May 1. Officials say there was no danger to the passengers, most of whom were German. GERMANY Three dead babies were found wrapped in storage bags in a basement freezer in Wenden, Germany, and a woman believed to be their mother was arrested, BBC reported May 5. The babies were not stillborn, and the cause of death has not been released. The three appeared to have died shortly after birth.   CHECHNYA Five police officers were killed by a roadside bomb in the capital city Grozny, the BBC reported May 5. They were preparing for the upcoming inauguration of Russia’s President-Elect Dmitry Medvedev. Fighting has died down between Chechen rebels and Russian troops in recent years, but attacks on security forces continue.   AUSTRIA Former kidnapping victim Natascha Kampusch said the family kept in an Amstetten cellar would need time and silence to recover, the BBC reported May 3. Father Josef Fritzl has confessed to keeping his daughter Elisabeth in a cellar for 24 years, sexually abusing her and apparently fathering seven children with her. Kampusch was kidnapped at age 10 and held in a basement for more than eight years. FRANCE President Nicolas Sarkozy’s popularity rating has dropped to 32 percent just one year after taking office, The International Herald Tribune reported May 4. Sarkozy’s presidency has been turbulent to date, reflecting the often-unconventional man himself. Nonetheless, people seem fascinated by the president, his well-publicized antics and his third wife, supermodel Carla Bruni. ITALY A 29-year-old was close to death after being beaten by a group of neo-Nazi soccer hooligans, a crime that put the spotlight on political militancy in the Mediterranean country, The New York Times (NYT) reported May 5. Politicians across the spectrum condemned the beating. Police say the act appears to be an isolated case of violence. BELARUS Ten United States diplomats were ordered out of the country over a dispute over human rights and sanctions, the NYT reported May 4. Another diplomat left in solidarity with his colleagues. Officials in Washington refused to comply with a request to reduce the number of U.S. Embassy staff in Minsk, propting the expulsion. POLAND A man held three Jewish teenagers captive in their hotel room by claiming he had a bomb, Reuters reported May 5. The Brazilian teenagers visited Warsaw to attend Holocaust commemoration ceremonies at the Auschwitz death camp, police said. The incident ended when police stormed the room and took the suspect into custody. No explosives were found. BELGRADE Serbian President Boris Tadić has received death threats for “betraying the Serb people,” as he negotiates an agreement that could recognize Kosovo’s independence, Reuters reported May 5. Kosovo’s move to declare independence in February has received mixed reactions from other countries. RISK The Social Democrats (ČSSD) will not support military projects that are risky for Czech troops if they are not beneficial to the Czech Republic, the Czech News Agency (ČTK) reported May 5. ČSSD leader Jiří Paroubek told NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer of the decision during Scheffer’s visit to the Czech Republic. PRISON A well-organized, secret network of neo-Nazis and skinheads has been operating in Czech prisons, Hospodářské noviny wrote May 5. Its members communicate with each other and receive outside funding. CYCLONE Foreign Affairs Ministry officials will send 2.5 million Kč ($154,527) in aid to the Burmese people hit by Cyclone Nargis, ČTK reported May 5. The cyclone killed at least 15,000 people and 30,000 are missing. WAR Three Czech soldiers wounded in a bomb explosion in Afghanistan April 30 have been released from the hospital, but a fourth soldier remains in serious condition, ČTK reported May 4. The four returned home along with the body of a fallen comrade. LIBRARY There is not enough money available to build the winning design of architect Jan Kaplický for a new National Library building in Prague, Culture Minister Vaclav Jehlička told Czech Television May 4. COURT The senior ruling Civic Democrat Party (ODS) wants to block Czech access to the International Criminal Court (ICC), a priority of the junior ruling Green Party, until the Greens support the planned installation of a U.S. radar base on Czech soil, Lidové noviny wrote May 2. MONUMENT Voters in Studenec, south Moravia, decided not to remove a relief of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin from a memorial to wartime victims in a May 1 referendum, municipal authority member František Hájek told ČTK.