Right-wing extremists on Saturday, August 7, attempted to march to the statue of 9th-century ruler Prince Svätopluk on the Bratislava Castle courtyard but were not allowed to enter the castle area by riot police and special police units, the TASR newswire reported.
The extremist gathering was not permitted to take place because it was not officially announced in advance. As was expected, the extremists clashed with those attending another rally held in the courtyard by civil activists protesting against what they call neo-Nazi lies, violence and propaganda.
The police intervention came after the extremists refused to disperse, ignoring calls from Bratislava Old Town Mayor Andrej Petrek's. Former leader of extremist organisation Slovenská Pospolitosť Marian Kotleba and several of his fellows were arrested and led away in handcuffs, TASR wrote.
The event was marked by a number of clashes and skirmishes that drew blood. The extremists, who remained near the castle site, called on the police to let Kotleba and the others go. In view of the circumstances, the castle, one of Bratislava's best-known sights and one frequently visited by tourists especially at the weekend, had to be closed. The right-wing extremists began to leave shortly after 16:00.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
