Chovenec: Police responded properly to "mock IS" invasion

Interior Minister Milan Chovanec has rejected any suggestion that police who ended a demonstration last weekend on Prague's Old Town Square - in which a populist politician and associates staged a "mock IS invasion" - acted inadequately. Instead, on Sunday, he laid the blame with City Hall councillors who were present. Speaking on Czech TV, Minister Chovanec suggested the event should have been banned the moment it started, given it could have caused broader public panic given recent attacks in Belgium and France. Some tourists were startled before it became apparent it was an act. The police stepped in to stop the publicity stunt when participants brandished replica firearms.

Author: Jan Velinger