Anti-imigrant opinions rising in the Czech Republic

The biggest issue which fills the headlines of newspapers and about which people discuss around the country is the refugee crisis which hits Europe hardly this year. The problem is that in the predominantly homogeneous Czech Republic where (especially out of Prague) people are not used to meet strangers this topic was captured by populists and open racist politicians who abuse people´s fears and (as we say in Czech) "put oil into the fire". The Czech media, who still doesn´t know how to deal with the open xenophobia in the Czech society also did not help much to keep calm the situation.

In the Czech Republic lives a tiny minority of Muslims now and maybe this is the reason why lot of people have a big fear of them. The facebook group "Islám v ČR nechceme" (We don´t want Islam in the Czech Republic) have more than 150 000 likes. Leader of the "Bloc against Islam" is Martin Konvička, entomologist from University of South Bohemia who takes lot of media attention despite lies and inaccuracies.

There were several antiislamic demonstrations this year. Some were organized by Konvička´s group, but some of them were even more radical, organized by openly nationalistic and neonazi groups. Leader of the openly racist and nacionalistic party is half Czech- half Japanese Tomio Okamura, who tries to take attention from the refugee crisis by violating anger to them every day. On one of his demonstrations some people takes gallows to illustrate what they want to do with their opponents. There were also reactions to this demonstrations. People who don´t agree with rising xenophobia in our country attends antidemonstrations (on 18. 7. there were about 500 people) and some of them actively block neonazi parades.

The atmosphere in the country is getting worse with the dividing society into two groups- those who are against accepting any refugees and those who wants to help them. Unfortunately, the first group is bigger.

On 12. 9. there will be another nationalist demonstration in the center of Prague. The number of nationalists and antiprotesters against them is balanced on both fb events so we will see what is going to happen. One thing is clear- that I will be there an will do everything to stop neonazis marching my home city.

Young girl is arrested after she actively blocked the neonazis in the center of Prague.