Not only the pictures of the brutal scene remind of the murder of Georges Floyd, also the background: murder by arbitrary, racist police violence! The murder of Stanislav Tomas member of the Roma in the Czech Republic, brought the first time since long numerous Roma on the streets in recent weeks. From the Czech Republic, Kosovo, Austria to Scotland, demonstrations and actions of solidarity were held!
On June 19, Stanislav Tomas, a Roma in the Czech Republic was brutally murdered. Police officers pushed him to the ground and kneed him in the neck, murdering him. The police action, according to eyewitnesses, came out of nowhere, Stanislav Tomas had gathered with many others for a religious celebration. Now the police claim that he was drugged and aggressive. Neighbors, family, as well as the flimsy evidence of the police do not confirm this. The video, however, where the murder of Stanislav Tomas by the police can be clearly seen, went viral in recent weeks. There were solidarity actions in numerous cities.
In Teplice, a small town in the north of the Czech Republic, where the brutal act took place, several hundred demonstrators gathered over the weekend in end of June. Many Roma and Sinti from various countries participated, demanding an end to racist violence. "Roma rise up!" and "Roma Live Matters" were slogans that were loudly chanted. Also in Kosovo, in front of the Czech Embassy in Pristina there was a demonstration organized in the beginning of July, which opposed racist violence against Roma.
The murder of Stanislav Tomas is not an isolated case, in many European countries Roma and Sinti are systematically expelled, discriminated against and oppressed according to their culture and language and are not infrequently subjected to racist violence up to and including murder. In parts of Hungary, for example, to such an extent that Roma settlements arm themselves in order to be able to defend themselves against attacks (especially by armed units of the fascist Jobbik party).
The tactics by police, according to human rights activists, to “prove” Stanislav Tomas was drugged, are already known. For the masses it is clear: this was murder! A murder in the midst of a generally very bad situation for members of the Roma and Sinti, who were driven in the course of the pandemic in many places even further to the edge of society, into poverty, misery and isolation. A racist murder that rightly brings hundreds onto the streets to stand up against police violence!