Prague, Czechia - 16 June 2001
On 16 June there was a street party in Prague,
organised by Ulice Lidem/
Reclaim the Streets Prague.
The Street Party was against the privatization and enclosure of
public spaces in cities, against automobilism, against new laws that
prohibit the freedom to gather, and against the system that
supports all of this - capitalism. The action was also in
solidarity with the anticapitalist protests in Gothenburg.
About 700 people gathered at noon at a meeting point, and
marched to a mainroad in Prague. They blocked this street.
Banners were flown that read, "Streets for people!",
"Liberate the city from automobilism and pollution,
capitalism and impoverishment!", "Concrete feeds apathy -
resistance is fertile", "No servant - no master."
The samba band played for the majority of the time and many
bystanders joined the band. Also a Navaho Indians group called
Black Fire played the drums with great success. Inside the
blocked street people played football, juggled, chalked the
street, and did various performances. Many people with children
also joined the festivities. Police watched the action and did
not attack. After three hours everyone left the streets and
marched to Namesti Miru, the square where S26 began. On the
square, members of Ulice Lidem/RTS, the Czechoslovakian Anarchist
Federation, the Feminist Group of the 8th of March, and the
Organization of Revolutionary Anarchists - Solidarita held
speeches that were well attended. No one was arrested.
In despite of previous street parties in Prague (1998-99)
fewer people attended this year. However, this street party was
more political; it was without soundsystems, but had many
creative elements such as the samba band, puppets, masks of
minister of interior, and so on. People were much more active
than in the past.
The Street Party was the biggest action in Prague after s26.
We hope that it strengthened the people who attended, and that it
was a small step in thecreation of an anticapitalist movement in
the Czech Republic.