AT THE END of last week, Roma and non-Roma activists from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, plus one from Slovakia, made a hole in the infamous Košice wall at the Luník IX housing estate.
“It was illegally constructed without building permit and we did good to the local community by destroying it,” one of activists from Switzerland told to the Sme daily on September 16.
Activists refuse to reveal their identity, claiming that they are “mere group of enthusiasts who dream about a world where Roma and non-Roma can live in peace”. They claim that they left the country right after they damaged the wall. At that time, also a Czech Roma from the Konexe association arrived to Košice, claiming they want to learn about how people live behind the walls, and open a debate on their situation.
“It is not ideal that anonymous activists destroy the Slovak segregation walls at night,” Miroslav Brož of Konexe told the Sme, “workers should do that officially during the day.”
Regional police spokeswoman Jana Mesárová said that by damaging the wall, the “perpetrators” caused damage of about €150 to the owner of the wall. Local self-administration immediately repaired the wall.
Slovakia has a total of 12 anti-Roma walls and fences; the EU last year asked for the Košice wall to be torn down, but mayor Rudolf Bauer (KDS) and local inhabitants were against, according to Sme.
(Source: Sme)
Compiled by Roman Cuprik from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
16. Sep 2014 at 10:00
