Prague, Czech republic, 15.3.2012 In a wave of public discontent, citizens across Czech cities, including Prague and Brno, have taken to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the current government. The demonstrations, organized by grassroots movements, spotlight concerns about corruption, economic inequality, and environmental policies. These diverse protesters, united by their shared frustration, demand a more responsive and accountable political system. While government officials...
The New Nationalism at the Heart of Europe is a large photo and video-art project, in which Tomáš Rafa maps the public manifestations of nationalism, extreme right, racism and lack of tolerance in different countries. Since 2009, the artist documents meetings of radical and revolutionary groups, but also the anti-government and anti-extremist demonstrations, marches and supporting events for the rights of the minorities or clashes of anti-Fascists with supporters of ultra right movements. read more
Thousands of refugees have crossed from Serbia into Croatia after being stranded in deteriorating conditions for days. The United Nations refugee agency estimates that 2,000 to 3,000 people were allowed to enter Croatia, which will likely increase the strain on neighboring Slovenia. The situation has worsened as Turkey insists it should not be expected to turn into a “concentration camp” for refugees, even if it tightens its borders. Turkey’s prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu...
On 17 May 2014, hundreds of people gathered in central Warsaw for the “Marsz Szmat” (Slut Walk), a public demonstration against sexual violence, victim-blaming, and the social stigma faced by survivors of assault. The march began near the Polish Parliament and moved through the city centre, filling the streets with chants and banners demanding respect for women’s rights and bodily autonomy. Participants carried placards declaring that the responsibility for sexual assault always lies with the...
On 30 April 2025, several hundred people gathered in front of the Slovak National Theatre (SND) in Bratislava for the protest Netreba nám Netrebko (“We Don’t Need Netrebko”), organised by the platform Otvorená kultúra! (Open Culture!). The demonstration took place shortly before a gala concert by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and expressed opposition to the theatre’s decision to invite an artist whose past relationship with Vladimir Putin and support for pro-Russian separatists had generated...
On 17 July 2010, Warsaw hosted EuroPride 2010, the first time this major pan-European LGBT pride event took place in a former communist country. The parade, themed “Liberty, Equality, Tolerance”, drew approximately 8 000 participants according to police estimates and progressed through the city centre. At the same time, in the morning hours, the nationalist Marsz Grunwaldzki took place, organised by a right-wing youth group, marking the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald...
On November 10, 2024, the monthly Smolensk remembrance ceremony once again took place in Warsaw. Attention focused on the controversial stairs erected near the Smolensk monument, which activists described as illegal and a symbol of political manipulation. The activists reminded that the stairs were built without proper authorization from the City of Warsaw and remain subject to a court order for removal. They declared that dismantling the structure would mark “the end of the Smolensk lie,”...
On 11 November 2013, Warsaw once again witnessed the Marsz Niepodległości (Independence March), one of Europe’s largest far-right gatherings. Under the slogan Idzie nowe pokolenie! (“A new generation is coming!”), the organisers—Młodzież Wszechpolska and ONR—presented the event as the symbolic rise of a renewed nationalist youth. Tens of thousands joined the march, filling the city centre with Polish flags, flares and chants calling for national sovereignty and cultural purity. Although framed...
01.05.2017 Brno residents are not planning to block the 1 May march by the ultra-right convened by the Workers’ Youth this year. Instead, they are calling on people through Facebook to organize creative, entertaining, non-violent activities in the city center on 1 May under the slogan “You can’t salute the Nazis if you’re having a good time” (“Kdo si hraje, nehajluje”). In recent years, 1 May in Brno has repeatedly become a scene of neo-Nazi provocation...
On September 1, 2015, an anti-immigrant protest organized by the far-right People’s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS) and its leader Marian Kotleba took place in the city of Trnava. Around two hundred supporters gathered at Trojičné Square, chanting nationalist slogans and displaying anti-immigrant banners. The rally remained mostly peaceful, although one incident occurred when protesters tore a sign reading “I’m ashamed of you” from a young man’s hands. After the demonstration ended, a group of...
Poland
V102: Press Conference of “14 Women from the Bridge” – Withdrawal from Counter-Protest, Warsaw, November 10, 2021
On November 10, 2021, in front of the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, the civic group known as “14 Women from the Bridge” held a press conference. The women, who in earlier years had stood on the Poniatowski Bridge to block the annual Independence March, announced that they would withdraw from their planned counter-demonstration scheduled for November 11 at Rondo Praw Kobiet (formerly Rondo Dmowskiego). The decision followed the government’s move to grant the Independence March...
On August 7, 2010, around 100 supporters of the People’s Party – Our Slovakia gathered at Hodžovo Square in Bratislava to participate in the “National Pilgrimage to the Statue of King Svätopluk.” The participants marched from the meeting point through Palisády towards Bratislava Castle, where the statue of Svätopluk is located. According to the march organizer, Marián Mišún, the pilgrimage is intended to honor history and the symbol of Slovakia – the double cross and Svätopluk...
On October 12, 2023, a commemorative gathering was held on Zámocká Street in Bratislava to mark the first anniversary of the terrorist attack outside the LGBTQ+ bar Tepláreň, where Juraj Vankulič and Matúš Horváth tragically lost their lives. The event, titled “Matúš and Juraj, We Will Not Forget,” drew hundreds of attendees who came to honor the victims and show support for the LGBTQ+ community. Prime Minister Ľudovít Ódor delivered a speech at the gathering, emphasizing the importance of...