The prospect of a wall — a ‘big, beautiful wall’ or a long, costly monument to fear — has entered American political discourse over the past year. But in the world traveled by the Slovakian artist and filmmaker Tomas Rafa, walls have been realities for a long time: some physical, made of reinforced concrete, and others metaphorical, maintained by increasingly virulent nationalist policies. New York Times

Since 2009, Rafa has employed the methods of cinéma vérité to document what he refers to as “new nationalisms” across Central Europe, creating vivid, stirring portraits of the resurgence of extreme right-wing, xenophobic, and neofascist groups in the region. MoMA, New York
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Far-Right Nationalist March of ONR in Warsaw

On April 29, 2017, the far-right nationalist group Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny (ONR, or National Radical Camp) held a controversial march in Warsaw, Poland. The event marked the anniversary of the ONR’s founding in the 1930s, an era when the group was known for its xenophobic, anti-Semitic, and ultra-nationalist agenda. The march was met with widespread criticism from human rights organizations, left-wing activists, and civic groups. Opponents accused the ONR of promoting hate speech and extremist...

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Marsch für s’Läbe … 1000 crosses

Zürich (Switzerland), 15.9.2011.Nach den Ausschreitungen in der Nacht kam es am Samstagnachmittag wieder zu Ausschreitungen in Zürich. Linksautonome versuchten eine Kundgebung von Abtreibungsgegnern zu verhindern. Die Polizei setzte Tränengas ein. Linksautonome hatten dazu aufgerufen, eine Kundgebung christlicher und rechtskonservativer Abtreibungsgegnerinnen und – gegner vom Samstagnachmittag in der Zürcher Innenstadt zu stören.Verletzt wurde niemand, wie ein Polizeisprecher auf Anfrage...

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V92: Queer parade in Bratislava 2024

On July 20, 2024, Bratislava’s Námestie slobody became a vibrant hub of solidarity and resilience as thousands gathered for the 14th annual Dúhový PRIDE Bratislava. This year’s event held profound significance, serving as a poignant protest against homophobia and intolerance, especially in the wake of the tragic terrorist attack on Zámocká Street in October 2022. The 2022 attack, which claimed the lives of two young members of the LGBTQ+ community outside the Tepláreň bar, cast a...

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V63: Euro Maidan Kiev Ukraine 2014

In late 2013 and early 2014, anti-government protests known as EuroMaidan began in Ukraine, triggered by President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to abandon closer ties with the European Union in favor of Russia. In December 2013, Russia offered Yanukovych a $15 billion bailout and a 33 percent discount on imported natural gas. The protests turned deadly on January 22, 2014, when at least three protesters were killed by gunshot during a police assault on the crowd, and more than 300 were...

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V91: Protest of Matica Slovenská against the poster of the P.O. Hviezdoslav Theater

On September 6, 2023, Matica slovenská, a cultural institution dedicated to preserving Slovak heritage, organized a protest outside the P. O. Hviezdoslav Theater (DPOH) in Bratislava. The demonstration arose from outrage over a promotional poster created for the theater’s 2023/2024 season, which featured controversial imagery deemed disrespectful to Slovak national identity and cultural heritage. The Poster That Sparked the Controversy The promotional artwork depicted a group of young...

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V89: We will not be silent. In memory of Matúš and Juraj

Four days after the planned murder of Matúš and Juraj on Zámocká Street, a gathering took place in their memory. The event, titled “Staying in the Streets – Antifascist March through the City,” wound its way from SNP Square to the Parliament building. Participants voiced solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities and emphatically rejected fascism in all its guises. During the rally at the Parliament building, speakers reiterated the importance of continued resistance against ideologies...

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V58: March of DSSS against Roma people in Duchcov

On June 22, 2013, supporters of the radical Workers’ Party of Social Justice (DSSS) gathered at the Légií Square on the outskirts of the Roma quarter in Duchcov, Czech Republic. Shortly after the DSSS leader’s speech, the protesters clashed with police when they attempted to break through a police cordon to reach a group of Roma residents. At the same time, the civil association Konexie organized a public gathering called “Čikhatar het/Z bahna von” to support the Duchcov...

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Occupy The PEP = Stop the Vote to Close Schools

New York, USA, 9.2.2012This Thursday, the Department of Education’s Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) will convene again to determine the fate of 25 schools the city is trying to close down.Since the majority of the panel is appointed by Mayor Bloomberg – and has never voted against his will – this decision will be easy for them. The Panel has never heard or been responsive to voices of real students, parents, teachers, and community members who have already spoken out against their failed...

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V83: Feminists block march of Polish far right Mlodziez Wszechpolska and ONR in Warsaw

On Thursday, August 17th, 2017, police in Poland forcefully removed feminist activists who were participating in a sit-in to block the route of a far-right rally in central Warsaw. The Women’s Strike group and activists from Obywatele RP, who aimed to defend democratic principles in Poland, were attempting to prevent several dozen extremists from marching on Poland’s Armed Forces Day. The feminist protesters, many holding photos of Heather Heyer, the American woman killed during a...

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V44: Anti Capitalist demo – Berlin Wedding

Berlin Wedding, Germany, 30th April 2012 7,000 police officers were deployed on Monday and Tuesday to keep the demonstrations under control. Traditionally, the violent “anticapitalist Walpurgis Night demo” has passed through Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg. This time, it was unexpectedly relocated to the Sprengelkiez and Brüsseler Kiez in Wedding, an area between the Wedding S-Bahn station, the northern shore of the Berlin-Spandauer Shipping Canal, and See- and Müllerstraße. This...

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Occupy Town Square II., West Park Presbyterian Church

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V79: Antifa vs. March of nationalists and far right movements against refugees and Islam in Bratislava

Hundreds of people participated in a neo-Nazi demonstration and march on Saturday, 25 June 2016 in Bratislava, Slovakia. The demonstration was held “against the dictatorship of Brussels and for stopping the liquidation of Europe,” according to the organizers. There was also a concurrent assembly by those opposed to extremism. The event was attended by fewer people than last year, and some of the demonstrators were from the Czech Republic. Event was attended by approximately 500 people, but more...

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