Bublan wants to give municipalities say over events, not landowners

The interior minister, Frantisek Bublan, has said he will push for changes to certain laws, following the police break-up of a music festival last weekend. Mr Bublan said on Sunday it should be up to local authorities to decide whether they want such an event in their area - the consent of the owner of the site would no longer suffice.

Over a hundred people were injured on both sides after riot police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse an estimated 5,000 participants at the CzechTek festival, which took place in a meadow in west Bohemia.

There has been a great deal of criticism of the police's handling of the affair. Mr Bublan and Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek continue to insist the intervention was justified, though both men say some individual police officers may have broken regulations.

Investigations have been launched by both the police themselves and the Ombudsman's office.

Author: Ian Willoughby