Legislative changes are being considered after a gallows was used at a rally
Prague, July 17 (ČTK) — The Czech police did not fail when they did not intervene against the participants in an anti-migration demonstration held in Prague on July 1 who carried dummy gallows, the police internal inspection has concluded, police spokesman Tomáš Hulan confirmed to the Czech News Agency
The Police Presidium supervised the inspection and it agrees with its results, Presidium spokeswoman Jana Macaliková said.
Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (Social Democrats, ČSSD) and Police President Tomáš Tuhý criticised the police’s behavior.
The police did not violate any law or internal order, Macaliková said.
However, legislative changes are being prepared over the demonstration, she added.
The demonstrators against migration warned of the “hordes of horny blacks” and put up fake gallows for “traitors” symbolizing the punishment of Czech politicians who support the idea of accepting refugees, but the police did not intervene.
One day later, Chovanec said “brandishing symbols like the gallows or threatening with death do not belong in the 21st century,” and that the police must realize it. Such signs of xenophobia and racism cannot be tolerated, he added.
According to the police, over 500 people participated in the demonstration against immigration, refugee quotas and for departure from the EU.
However, the police intervened only against a sit-in protest of a small group of immigration supporters blocking the way of the nationalist demonstrators who planned to march to the Government Office. Four of the pro-immigration activists were arrested.
Similar demonstrations opposed to migration and in its support are scheduled for July 18.
The police have not received any new orders in connection with the planned rallies in view of the internal inspection’s decision, Hulan said.
