Meeting held in bid to defuse racial tensions in České Budějovice

Officials in České Budějovice organised a public meeting on Tuesday in a bid to resolve racial tensions in the South Bohemian city, which has recently seen two large demonstrations against the Roma minority. The gathering, at a local sports arena, was attended by around 600 people. At the weekend over 150 people were detained during violent protests that centred on a neighbourhood in the city with a high percentage of Roma residents; the clashes followed a fight at a children’s playground there last month.