• Football: Sirl goal sees Petrograd crowned Russian league champions
    11/11/2007

    Czech footballer Radek Sirl scored the lone goal for Zenit Petrograd against Saturn Moscow Oblast to see his team crowned Russian league champions. The win kept Petrohrad just atop the Russian Premier League standings, two points ahead of nearest rival Spartak Moscow.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • NHL ice hockey: Prospal “first star” in Sharks v. Capitals game
    11/11/2007

    Tampa Bay forward Vaclav Prospal was named the first star in a game between the Sharks and the Washington Capitals in NHL ice hockey action on Saturday. Prospal scored one goal and notched up two assists in his team’s 5:2 win.

    In other action, Martin Erat lifted Nashville over Columbus by scoring the final penalty in a 4:3 shoot-out.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Police presence prevents neo-Nazis from marching in Jewish quarter
    11/10/2007

    1,400 police came out in force in Prague’s historic Jewish quarter as well as other parts of Prague on Saturday, a day when right-wing radicals said they would go ahead with a march officially banned by the city. November 10th marks the anniversary of the Nazi pogrom Kristallnacht, which targeted Jews in Germany in 1938. Prague City Hall made clear from the start it would break up any unauthorised demonstration. In the end, neo-Nazi extremists did not gather in the numbers expected; nor did any tried to break through where police were stationed. In a televised press conference early Saturday evening, Prague Mayor Pavel Bem said that the police had done an exemplary job in preventing the march from going ahead. He also stressed that incidents of violence in areas of Prague throughout the day had been isolated, and that if it stopped at that he would “be happy”.

    According to the mayor, around 1,000 anarchists descended on Prague on Saturday, along with between 300-400 right-wing extremists.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Tourists stay away from historic quarter
    11/10/2007

    Many shops in the Jewish quarter of Josefov remained closed for the day and the area was mostly empty of tourists. Police set up a barricade in the Jewish quarter where the neo-Nazis’ march was to start, and situated police, transport and emergency vehicles at strategic locations.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Skinheads clash with anarchists
    11/10/2007

    In related news, right-wing radicals at the edge of the historic Jewish quarter did clash briefly with anarchists, near Prague’s Faculty of Law building on Saturday evening. Anarchists tried – but failed – to break through a police blockade on Prague’s Parizska Street, and were pushed back by riot police. The anarchists then clashed with neo-Nazis in brutal hand-to-hand fighting which lasted ten minutes. One of the neo-Nazis reportedly fired into the crowd with an air pistol, before he was charged by anarchists and beaten. Three people were injured in the incident.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Isolated clashes continue into Saturday evening
    11/10/2007

    Later on Saturday evening, left-wing radicals and right-wing extremists dispersed into parts of the Czech capital, leading to a number of isolated incidents between the two camps. Police had to help shelter a skinhead in their vehicle in the centre, after he was cornered by a larger crowd. Some 200 skinheads are now said to be gathering at the city’s Palacky square, meaning additional incidents can not be ruled out.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Right-wing extremists arrested following clash
    11/10/2007

    Earlier on Saturday, police clashed with around 100 right-wing extremists gathering in Prague’s Vysocany district. Seven individuals were arrested in the incident.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Thirty arrested carrying concealed weapons
    11/10/2007

    In another incident, in Prague’s Sokolovska Street, police arrested an additional 30 individuals carrying concealed weapons. The police found telescopic batons, home-made explosives, and edged weapons.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Two busloads of extremists allowed to cross Czech-German border
    11/10/2007

    Throughout the day police also monitored two buses with around 150 right-wing extremists that were allowed to cross into the Czech Republic from Germany. According to a police official, officers searched the buses but found no legal reason to turn the demonstrators back. Earlier, at a meeting on Saturday, Interior Minister Ivan Langer, Police President Oldrich Martinu, city representatives, health officials, and others met to discuss options, with the police agreeing to use all lawful means possible to prevent the right-wing march from going ahead.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Jewish community holds memorial ceremony at Old-New Synagogue
    11/10/2007

    The Jewish community held a memorial ceremony early on Saturday afternoon in opposition to the planned march by neo-Nazis. The ceremony was held at the Old-New Synagogue and was attended by several hundred including prominent politicians. Among the present were Prague’s Mayor Pavel Bem, Interior Minister Ivan Langer, Environment Minister Martin Bursik, and others.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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