A pre-election rally organized by far-right politician Marián Kotleba and members of his People’s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS) in Žilina escalated into violence on Saturday, July 11, 2015. The event, staged under an anti-immigration banner, drew several hundred participants, including sympathizers from the extremist group VZDOR Kysuce and other regional branches of the Slovak radical right. The gathering was held in Žilina’s city center as part of a series of nationalist demonstrations that...
The New Nationalism at the Heart of Europe is a large photo and video-art project, in which Tomáš Rafa maps the public manifestations of nationalism, extreme right, racism and lack of tolerance in different countries. Since 2009, the artist documents meetings of radical and revolutionary groups, but also the anti-government and anti-extremist demonstrations, marches and supporting events for the rights of the minorities or clashes of anti-Fascists with supporters of ultra right movements. read more
19.10.2015, Trnovec, Slovenia/CroatiaAs the migration crisis in Europe continues, tensions rise between Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia over dealing with thousands of refugees stranded in the Balkans. The countries accuse each other of allowing migrants to cross their borders without taking responsibility. Slovenia has limited the number of refugees allowed to cross from Croatia, claiming Germany and Austria are also reducing the numbers they accept. Slovenia’s interior minister, Vesna...
Bronx, New York, USA, 4.2.2012. New yorkers rallied and marched in the Bronx to protest the beating of Jatiek Reed by four NYPD police officers and the murder of Rahmarley Graham by another NYPD police officer. Today was also the 13th anniversary of the NYPD murder of Amadou Diallo. On Thursday, January 26th, Jatiek Reed, 19, was beaten by Sgt. Mervin Montalban and Officers Alfonsina Delacruz, Jodi Brown and Robert Jaquez and arrested on false charges. Jatiek is now being held at Rikers Island...
Poland
V28: “Czarny Protest” and the “Conference of Polish Women Bishops” Along Krakowskie Przedmieście
On 24 October 2016, in Warsaw the women’s rights movement organised a day of action under the banner of Czarny Protest (Black Protest), building on earlier mobilisations in September and October. On this day, a procession called the Konferencja Episkopatu Polek (Conference of Polish Women Bishops) walked along the Royal Route (Trakt Królewski) and stopped at several churches, including St. Krzyż, Visitation, Seminary, St. Anna and St. John’s Cathedral. The participants carried banners saying...
On September 29, 2012, promoters of the far-right People’s Party Our Slovakia (Ľudová strana Naše Slovensko – LSNS) are planning an event to “clean up” the Romani settlement in Krásná Hôrka, Slovakia. The party is inviting people to attend the event through social networks and its website, claiming that more than 300 people might participate. Marián Kotleba, the party’s leading candidate, has requested the Slovak State Police to coordinate the event. Kotleba recently...
On 10 September 2021, during the 137th monthly commemoration of the Smolensk air disaster, activists from Lotna Brygada Opozycji (LBO) carried out a peaceful artistic intervention on Piłsudski Square in Warsaw. Next to the Pomnik Ofiar Tragedii Smoleńskiej (Monument to the Victims of the Smolensk Tragedy), they assembled a temporary structure made of cardboard boxes, referred to as the “Cardboard Stairs.” The installation, built from around thirty-five boxes and standing four metres high...
Mühleberg (Switzerland), 4.9.2011. Sie führte 12 Männer und 14 Frauen weg, die beim Wasserkraftwerk die Strasse Richtung AKW versperrt hatten. Die Teilnehmenden leisteten beim Polizei-Einsatz nach übereinstimmenden Berichten von Aktivisten und Polizei keinen Widerstand. Die Aktivisten wurden nach einer Befragung wieder auf freien Fuss gesetzt. Sie werden verzeigt wegen Störung des öffentlichen Verkehrs, Ungehorsams gegen eine amtliche Verfügung und wegen Störung von Betrieben, die der...
On August 20th, 2018, far-right groups in the Czech Republic organized a protest in Dubí, a small town near the border with Germany. The protest was in response to a recent incident at a local swimming pool between two women. The far-right groups, including the far-right political party DSSS, used the incident as a rallying cry against what they saw as an increase in crime and violence perpetrated by immigrants and minorities. They claimed that the incident at the swimming pool was evidence of...
Thousands of refugees have crossed from Serbia into Croatia after being stranded in deteriorating conditions for days. The United Nations refugee agency estimates that 2,000 to 3,000 people were allowed to enter Croatia, which will likely increase the strain on neighboring Slovenia. The situation has worsened as Turkey insists it should not be expected to turn into a “concentration camp” for refugees, even if it tightens its borders. Turkey’s prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu...
On September 9, 2021, members of Młodzieżowy Strajk Klimatyczny (Youth Climate Strike) staged an occupy protest in front of the Ministry of Climate and Environment in Warsaw. The demonstration demanded urgent government action to address the climate crisis. Protesters gathered with banners reading “Nie ma planety B” (There is no Planet B) and “Działajcie teraz!” (Act Now!), calling for an end to subsidies for fossil fuels, a clear plan to reduce emissions, and a...
On August 26, 2023, the city of Košice hosted its annual Pride parade, a vibrant celebration advocating for the rights and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. The event attracted over a thousand participants who marched through the city’s center, promoting messages of love, equality, and acceptance. However, the peaceful atmosphere was disrupted by members and supporters of the far-right political party, Kotlebovci – Ľudová strana Naše Slovensko (ĽSNS). Positioning themselves along the...
On June 9, 2012, Bratislava celebrated its third annual Dúhový (Rainbow) Pride parade. Members of the international community expressed their moral and practical support for the parade organizers and participants. The event aimed to raise awareness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the Slovak Republic and promote their human rights. As citizens of the European Union, the LGBT community in Slovakia enjoys legal guarantees under the Charter of Fundamental Rights...