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...
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
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...
NEW YORK, USA, 29.02.2012. A few dozen Occupy Wall Street protestors marched on the world headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on Wednesday, a lukewarm kick off to a nationwide day of revival for the movement loosely organized around denouncing economic inequality. Police on motorcycles escorted the peaceful but loud group of about 50 protestors marching from the park outside the New York Public Library to nearby Pfizer, close to Grand Central Terminal.“Shame on Pfizer...
On June 9, 2012, Bratislava celebrated its third annual Dúhový (Rainbow) Pride parade. Members of the international community expressed their moral and practical support for the parade organizers and participants. The event aimed to raise awareness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the Slovak Republic and promote their human rights. As citizens of the European Union, the LGBT community in Slovakia enjoys legal guarantees under the Charter of Fundamental Rights...
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...
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...
A pre-election rally organized by far-right politician Marián Kotleba and members of his People’s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS) in Žilina escalated into violence on Saturday, July 11, 2015. The event, staged under an anti-immigration banner, drew several hundred participants, including sympathizers from the extremist group VZDOR Kysuce and other regional branches of the Slovak radical right. The gathering was held in Žilina’s city center as part of a series of nationalist demonstrations that...
Mühleberg (Switzerland), 4.9.2011. Sie führte 12 Männer und 14 Frauen weg, die beim Wasserkraftwerk die Strasse Richtung AKW versperrt hatten. Die Teilnehmenden leisteten beim Polizei-Einsatz nach übereinstimmenden Berichten von Aktivisten und Polizei keinen Widerstand. Die Aktivisten wurden nach einer Befragung wieder auf freien Fuss gesetzt. Sie werden verzeigt wegen Störung des öffentlichen Verkehrs, Ungehorsams gegen eine amtliche Verfügung und wegen Störung von Betrieben, die der...
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...
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...
On April 10, 2018, Warsaw witnessed what was reported as the final regular monthly commemoration (the “miesięcznica”) of the 2010 air disaster near Smolensk. The ceremony took place on Krakowskie Przedmieście in front of the Presidential Palace, where families of the victims and political figures gathered to mark eight years since the tragedy. At the same time, Obywatele RP organised a counter-gathering nearby, carrying white roses, national flags, and banners. Their message emphasised civil...
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...