A civic association, New Free Slovakia, has called for a gathering of citizens in Prešov on Friday, August 14, for people to express their opposition to violence. The group’s website suggests it pursues a strongly nationalist agenda.
The association’s representatives sent notice of the planned gathering to the Town Hall in Prešov. "We will monitor the course of the gathering, and should laws be violated, the town’s representative has the right to end and dissolve the gathering,” the head of the city police in Prešov, Ján Andrejko, told the SITA newswire on August 12.
Prešov Mayor Pavol Hagyari has held discussions with representatives of Prešov Regional Police and with the gathering’s organiser, Radovan Novotný. In a web discussion on an internet site belonging to the Czech newspaper Dělnické listy, one contributor called on people to come to Prešov and protest against police brutality. The call comes after a gathering on Saturday, August 8, in Šarišské Michaľany (Prešov Region), led by extremist group Slovenská Pospolitosť, ostensibly to protest against Roma criminality, ended in clashes and arrests. Several protesters were detained after they refused to leave a local football stadium.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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