Some 600 demonstrators attend anti-Islam protest

Some 600 demonstrators took part in an event in Brno on Saturday protesting against Islam, while not far away around 200 people demonstrated in favour of religious freedom and tolerance. Neither event saw any incidents requiring the police to step in. Organisers of the larger protest said they wanted to stop the spread of Islam in the Czech Republic; protestors carried placards featuring a mosque and minarets inside a ban circle. Populist politicians such as the Dawn movement's Tomio Okamura in recent weeks have stoked anti-Muslim sentiments, suggesting Czechs, for example, should boycott kebab stands.

Author: Jan Velinger