Last updated on June 14, 2020
I spoke at last week’s BLM Prague demonstration because I felt the message was important for us all to consider what we can learn from the murder of black men and women in the US by the police. Individual and systemic racism is a human problem, an international one, not confined to the US. On June 13, 2020, I joined many other Czechs and foreigners again in Prague to continue to shine a light on the issue of inequality and injustice.
Speaking Out Against Racism, For Equality and Justice
An American woman spoke out against racism and police brutality. She emphasized the need for equality in the Czech Republic.
A young man spoke powerfully about his experience of being born and raised in the Czech Republic as a black man. He recounted that his mother was pushed down the escalator when she was pregnant with him by someone who didn’t want more black people in the world. He shared his experiences of racism here, in his home country.
Several Czech people spoke and there was some translation between the two languages for many of the speakers. I wish I understood more Czech because I think it is important to have local speakers at events, speaking in their mother tongue.
A Speech and Performance
The longest speech was by a man, entirely in Czech, speaking about his experiences in the Czech Republic. Having understood little of what he said, I can’t comment on it further than to say that it was a dramatic, passionate performance. It ended with him taking off one shirt to reveal another with Trump on it. I could not read what it said but he took that shirt off as well to rip it. Personally, I think the fact that a person who is so publicly racist and misogynistic is the president of the United States of America is a symptom of broader, systemic racism not the cause of it.
Carrying on in the Rain
The speeches started in the sun but it started to rain at some point. The speakers carried on through the rain, with someone holding an umbrella over their head. Some of us sheltered under a tree during the worst of the rain but people stayed for the demonstration.
Resistance Flag Monument at Malostranska
Racism, one expression of which is the belief by one group that they are superior than another, kills. The location of the demonstration, at a site with a monument, a Czech flag that pays tribute to second resistance to the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi forces in 1938-1945. This monument is an important reminder of past atrocities in the world. We’re fighting for black lives. It may not be on the scale of the second world war but didn’t we learn anything then about how to treat each other, about equality and justice? We’re intent as a human race on repeating the same mistakes, allowing (or at least not opposing) racism over and over again.
From Malostranska, we marched to the American embassy, chanting as we went. The police seemed more organized this time. I noticed less police presence at the demonstration but once we got to the embassy, they kept trying to confine us to one side of the street. Last time, this happened naturally due to part of the street being blocked. We also had to move over several times to let traffic this time.
Demonstrating at the American Embassy
After some more chants in front of the embassy, we got on one knee with a raised fist for a moment of silence. We chanted and paid tribute to the people who were killed.
After the official speeches, a black woman volunteered to talk. She reminded us that racism against black people is systemic in the US. The fear that she could have been a victim of police violence or her brother could have found himself in the same situation as George Floyd stays with her. Once, she received a $10 bill in one store to only have it rejected as fake in another store. She called on us to keep the fight against racism. It was emotional for me to listen to her, and she was emotional after the speech
I could not believe it! The media thronged her as she hugged a (white) friend (?) in the crowd. They were practically jostling each other for space to capture the moment.
Demonstration in Prague For Justice Everywhere
There were much more media at today’s demonstration than there was last week. CNN even made an appearance. There were also demonstrators highlighting other injustices in the world, particularly in the Czech Republic, a big issue of which is discrimination against and deaths of Roma people. Several people had flags to highlight specific issues, including Palestinian rights. However, most of the posters seemed to highlight racial injustices and to champion the cause of Black Lives Matter, with some people emphasizing Black trans life and Black queer life as well.
I thought there would be fewer people here today, especially with the weather forecast for rain. But people again showed up! I recognized many faces from last time, even with our masks on. ✊🏽
You can see more photos from the event directly on the Facebook page of the photographer whose photos I embedded in this post.
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