Roma groups to demonstrate against Cunek

Two Roma organisations announced on Friday that they intend to demonstrate before the offices of government next Wednesday to demand the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek. The protest is being jointly arranged by the Romany Association of Northern Moravia and the Romea civic association. They have also launched a petition calling for Mr Cunek's resignation, which has already been signed by a hundred representatives of Roma organisations and international institutions. Mr Cunek made a controversial comment about the Roma in last Friday's edition of the tabloid Blesk. When asked by a reader whether other people should receive state subsidies like Romanies, Mr Cunek said they would first need to get a suntan, behave in a disorderly way and light fires on town squares before politicians would regard them as badly off.

Author: Coilin O'Connor