Prague, Nov 19 (CTK) – The Czech police proceeded according to law at Prague-Albertov on the national holiday of November 17, when the fall of the country’s communist regime is celebrated, their president Tomas Tuhy told journalists yesterday.
He reacted to the criticism of the police decision not to let students lay flowers at the commemorative plaque at the Albertov university complex because a meeting of President Milos Zeman was to be held there a few hours later.
Tuhy said the police would order a check of any possible failures if anybody reported them.
He said the police had announced in advance that certain restrictions would be adopted in relation to the presence of the president.
The students consider the police steps unexcusable. On November 22, they plan to organise an event really commemorating the events of 1939 and 1989. They say this will be no protest against Zeman.
The police decision was condemned by Charles University rector Tomas Zima and Masaryk University rector Mikulas Bek.
The rectors said the “Real Celebration of November 17 at Albertov” on November 22 would take place under their auspices.
Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said the students’ effort to lay flowers was a planned provocation.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said the police ought to have made an exception and let the students in, but he said he can understand why the police did not do so.
Zeman was widely criticised for making a speech at an event organised by the far-right Bloc Against Islam on November 17.
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