Several events and demonstrations took place today in the Czech capital during the visit of US President Barack Obama. Humanists from the Nonviolence movement staged several protests against the planned deployment of US troops on Czech soil as part of the “Star Wars” plan.
Already yesterday activists had displayed a banner on one of Prague’s bridges. Today, events included the march of “The Invisibles” through the city and a human-made message “No Star Wars” body-painted on several male and female activists.
“The Invisibles are more than 70% of the Czech population who do not want the military radar base. The Invisibles are the 99% of the worldwide population that does not want wars and aspires to peace,” said Jan Tamas, spokesman of the movement.
The Invisibles – people dressed in white with white masks – then marched through the city to the Congress Centre where the EU-US summit was taking place. However, riot police blocked their path to the Congress Centre and refused to allow a closer approach. “It is the first time since the fall of the communist regime that peaceful citizens have been denied the right to protest policies they disagree with,” commented Tamas. “The police are denying us our civil liberties while justifying it with ‘security reasons’. This is unacceptable.”
The movement spokesman also commented on Obama’s speech calling it “a grey picture”, with the exception of the nuclear disarmament proposal. “We welcome Obama’s initiative on Nuclear disarmament, but the rest of his speech seemed too much in line with the policies of the previous US administration,” added Tamas.
Prague, April 5, 2009
Gerardo Femina
Europe for Peace