Summary of neo-Nazi organizations in the Czech Republic

Antifa Info-Bulletin, Research Supplement, 19 April 2000

Narodni Odpor Praha (National Resistance Prague-NO)

Only a year ago it seemed that a group around Filip Vavra was ready to begin making effective public politics. It tried to register a civil association called “Narodni Socialiste” (”National Socialists”), and in late 98/99 started to organize public campaigns. During this period they held a demonstration against broadcasting Radio Free Europe to Iran and Iraq; organized a march through the center of Prague on October 28, 1998. Because the latter action was organized clandestinely and participants constantly changed route on underground rail lines the cops were unaware of the march for a time. The NO took part in demonstrations for free speech and against paragraph 261, but mainly they organized the neo-Nazi 1st May demonstration at Strelecky Ostrov, which would show the power of “nationalists” and would displace “red scum” from their traditional meeting place.

In August 1999 this group, known as Narodni Odpor Praha (National Resistance Prague), organized a demonstration to pay tribute to the memory of the “last victim” of World War II—the Nazi Rudolf Hess. With this, the group publicly abandoned declared nationalism while in May, Filip Vavra still claimed that the NO could become an alternative for disappointed Republican voters. Then he declared during a September demonstration in Rakovnik: “Narodni Odpor shouldn’t be a public political force yet, because the movement isn’t strong enough—rather, it should be a network of single cells which would agree on a basic program.”

They announced a demonstration on October 28, 1999 at Arbesovo Square in Prague, but because their action was banned by authorities, they joined a demonstration at Vitkov organized by “Vlastenecka Fronta” (Patriotic Front) and “Narodni Aliance” (National Alliance). When the march ended at I.P. Pavlova “Narodni Odpor” took the initiative and by quickly changing tactics it tried to confuse the cops; later, after masking-up they tried to march uncontrolled through the city to “get it clean”. The abortive action ended mostly in chaos and with a small clash with police at the beginning.

Ranking NO personalities Filip Vavra and Jan Brcak are very problematic figures within the Nazi movement, they aren’t quite respected by the old elite from the Bohemia Hammer Skins and Blood & Honour. Encounters often end with physical conflicts. In January 2000, Filip Vavra according to our information, departed to Dublin for a year and half and Jan Brcak because of his foreign studies isn’t in Prague very much. During the last demonstration on February 19, 2000—organized in support Joerg Haider—he spoke as NO Svamberk. Well we’ll see if under his leadership the group stagnates and confines their activities to supporting actions organized by the VF and NA.

The NO have active connections with the German ultra-rightwing scene, primarily with the German National Party (NPD) and their youth organization Junge Nationalen which supports NO financially.

Blood & Honour

Among B&H activities besides building up an illegal organization, rank mostly rallies and gigs, the manufacture and distribution of white power music, patches and periodicals such as the magazine Phoenix. After a police attack before a planned gig in Spring 1999, Jaroslav Broz was arrested. Broz was a leading figure of the Plzen's (Pilsen) group; police discovered that a considerable part of their members paying allowances, and were found to be manufacturing patches etc. Police executed innumerable house searches; for the most part theses proved unsuccessful. At present B&H is totally illegal and it isn’t heard from much. Only individual members and followers take part in public rallies arranged by VF and NA. The strongest groups are in Northern and West Bohemia.

The pamphlet from Max Hammer, an analysis of which way the movement and its militant component, Combat 18, should go is available on the internet: www.geocities.com/Hearthland/Garden/6165/

“Narodni Aliance” (National Alliance) and “Vlastenecka Fronta” (Patriotic Front)

Both groups are registered civil associations under words like “nation” and “patriotism”. They advocate for strong government, struggle against immigrants and non-adaptable minorities, drugs, prostitution, economic globalization, multiculturalism, Germanizing of Czech border regions, entrance of the Czech Republic into the European Union, etc.

During last year's demonstrations for free speech, they also organized demonstrations in weak social regions where they try to exploit with their propaganda the workers' situation to convince them with their simple solutions full of racist attacks and empty patriotic phrases. However, they haven’t enjoyed much success with these campaigns; their active participants are still the same members of these organizations and local Nazi skinheads.

On the other hand, a clear success for VF was the rally organized on the anniversary of the founding of the republic, which mobilized some 500 participants—members and followers of VF and NA, a group around “Narodni Odpor”, but also relatively elite members of the neo-Nazi movement and some 15-16 years old baby-skins. Vlastenecka Fronta proved with this demonstration that it is able to unite the ultra-right and to offer it a kind of a legal basis.

During this action were several significant speeches. VF chairman Miroslav Knapovsky talked about the necessity of a real fight in case of a communist election victory, about the need to develop pre-military sports in local VF groups and about the necessity to acquire a license to carry firearms. The NA chairman made a speech about the so-called “Oswiecim (Auschwitz) lie” (Holocaust denial ). In response to it, a local official only said to him to leave the lawn. He was later investigated but they said his words wern’t a “rude outrage” and prosecution was stopped. When the response to the speech by Vladimir Skoupy from Narodni Aliance increased efforts to criminalize ultra-rightwing civil associations, VF chairman Knapovsky threatened to form a political party. He stated: “It wouldn’t be a real problem for VF to get the correct number of signatures and to perform all legal necessities for registration. The reason why we don’t act lies elsewhere. We don’t want to overburden youngsters who are the majority of our organization with as fundamental step as membership in a political party. But if this step would be necessary, we’ll do it!!!”

Narodni Aliance is in its public speeches openly anti-system, literally it talks about overthrowing the regime and promises the death for enemies of the nation; if the “red beast of prey” comes to power it promises a revolution that wouldn’t be velvet, and during the last demonstration against communism on February 25, 2000, Vladimir Skoupy and Zbynek Rais were arrested and accused of propagating fascism, because of the slogans on their shirts in the style of Nazi Germany one week earlier at a demonstration supporting Haider.

The demonstrations are always organized jointly by NA, VF and NO. NA appears as the public face that arranges organization, apparently it's a force giving the ultra-right energy, but probably it’ll soon exhaust itself due to their racist speeches and their illegal display of fascist symbols. Because this they’re menaced by criminalization, but maybe Skoupy wants at all costs to be imprisoned. NA is active mostly in Rakovnik and in Jihlava which has recently formed a new local organization. VF is obviously ready for more long-term political work. There are more experienced people leading the organization who try not to break the law and the group is able with their program to address more radical groups as well as dissatisfied sections of the community longing for a strong government and social certainties. NO recently would rather take part in these actions and devotes itself mostly to building the organization; thanks to contact with Tomas Kebza (Republican party SPR-RSC) they were able to recruit a few members of the Republican Youth. All of the organizations have close contacts with SPR-RSC (for example NO organized the security guard for Jean-Maria Le Pen's speech in Brno) and despite their current crisis the Czech ultra-rightwing scene has demonstrated that is able to unite.

Antifascist actions in Czech Republic

22th April 2000 Jihlava: the neo-fascist organizations Narodni Aliance, Vlastenecka Republikanska Strana (Patriotic Republican Party) and other hate groups organize in Jihlava (a city in the middle of CZ) a demonstration. Info afabrno@atlas.cz

22th April 2000 Brandys nad Labem: an antifascist demonstration organized by AFA Prague will take a place in Brandys nad Labem (a city 40 km above Prague). Info afa-praha@volny.cz

1th May Prague: an anarchist demonstration against capitalism and the state—for equality and social justice. Organized by Federace Socialnich Anarchistu (member of IWA), Solidarita—organization of revolutionary anarchists, Ceskoslovesnska Anarchistiska Federace (CSAF) and AFA. Info afa-praha@volny.cz

6th May 2000 Prague: “No More Fascism.” Antifascist demonstration on the anniversary of the end of WW2. Info: afa-praha@volny.cz