Four hundred attend neo-Nazi rock concert near Brno

Around 400 people attended a neo-Nazi rock concert at Ochoz near Brno on Saturday evening. The event was monitored by hundreds of police officers. One of the organisers said the attentions of the state and the media had put off some would-be attendees, while most of the far-right rock groups slated to play at the outdoor concert also pulled out. Another such event is planned for the Pardubice area in east Bohemia the weekend after next.

Experts on extremism have told the Czech Press Agency they believe the Czech far right is planning to try to enter politics at the national level. The neo-Nazis long-term strategy involves a concerted effort to not break the law in order to gain broader support with an eye to eventually entering Parliament, a member of the Czech Helsinki Committee said. The Interior Ministry recently said it would put more energy into monitoring far-right groups.