THE POPULAR Nitra student bar Mariatchi, whose owner and patrons were attacked by neo-Nazis last year, hosted a concert against violence on February 1.
Following the attacks, , but which were only reported by the media recently, people began avoiding the bar out of fear.
On the first Saturday of February, organisers of several festivals in Slovakia joined forces and organised an event to support the bar and protest against violence and racism. The concert was the first one in a series of concerts under the name “Festival Saturdays”, the Sme daily reported.
Festival organisers, including Pohoda, Topfest, Grape, Bratislava Jazz Days, Slížovica, Uprising, Vrbovské Vetry, Wilsonic and Convergences will take turns hosting one Saturday each.
The bar’s owner, Radovan Richtárik, told Sme that the event on February 1, organised by the Vrbovské Vetry festival organisers, brought a record number of customers to his establishment.
“Free festivals depend on a free club scene, on small places where different people can gather without fear,” the statement of the festival organisers reads, as quoted by Sme. “We want people not to be afraid to go to a club, a bar, a pub or to a festival. Not to be afraid to go out to the streets, to the park or to any other public space just because of their hairstyle, skin colour or their mother tongue.
Source: Sme
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.
