Municipal court throws out city ban on march

Prague‘s Municipal Court has cancelled the ban on a march to be held by critics of President Miloš Zeman on the national holiday on November 17, its organiser, activist Jan Cemper confirmed on Monday. Prague City hall had banned the march arguing it would cross routes with another demonstration of the president’s supporters, claiming the real aim had been to provoke clashes. Mr Cemper denied the charge. The march is expected to circumvent other planned demonstrations. The police regularly maintain a high presence during planned events to prevent clashes by rival groups. November 17 is the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy that commemorates student demonstrations during the Nazi occupation in 1939 and against the Communist regime in 1989.