Prague, Sept 14 (CTK) – The Diakonie NGO has withdrawn a shred of the Czech presidential flag, which artists from the Ztohoven group removed from the Prague Castle roof and replaced with red trunks last year, from a public auction due to protests, Elias Molnar, from Diakonie, told journalists yesterday.
Ztohoven donated the cut pieces of the flag to the auction.
The Ztohoven members, disguised as chimney sweepers, hung out giant red boxer shorts on the roof of Prague Castle, the presidential seat, instead of the presidential flag on September 19, 2015, in protest against President Milos Zeman’s behaviour in office.
The group cut the original presidential flag into more than 1000 pieces and distributed them among people.
The plan caused controversial reactions even from the people who otherwise usually side with the NGO, Molnar said.
“We expected negative reactions. As we work with refugees, our organisation is often targeted by extremist groups,” he added.
“However, even some of our followers and fellow staff reacted negatively to the flag. Hence our decision to withdraw it from the auction,” Molnar said.
The initial price of a 10x10cm flag piece was put at no crown.
The Ztohoven incident caused indignation among part of the Czech public. The artists were sharply criticised by Zeman and other politicians, saying they thereby defamed the president’s office.
In late August, a Prague district court ruled that the hanging out of red boxer shorts at Prague Castle by the Ztohoven artistic group was no crime. The artists thereby committed neither a theft nor rioting, the judge said.
The auction will take place on November 3. The proceeds are to sponsor humanitarian and development projects.
