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Anti-Islam hoax rally ought to have been banned, says Prague mayor

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Prague, Aug 22 (CTK) – The rally that Martin Konvicka’s Initiative anti-Islam group organised in the centre of the city on Sunday and that caused panic among tourists ought to have been banned, Prague Mayor Adriana Krnacova (ANO) told journalists on Monday.

“This was the absolute failure of an official and I want to draw personnel consequences from this,” Krnacova told CTK.

Members of the Initiative arrived at the historical Old Town Square on a military vehicle, wearing camo uniforms and leading a camel and carrying an Islamic State flag. They “played” an invasion of Prague by IS.

The performance aroused panic among people in the square, mainly foreign tourists.

In the morning, the Prague City Hall released its official statement that it could not have banned the rally.

Prague officials knew that persons disguised as soldiers will attend the rally that Martin Konvicka’s Initiative anti-Islam group organised in the centre of the city on Sunday, but they could not ban the event as they knew no more details, the City Hall said.

However, Krnacova said the application for the rally had really included a mention about fake weapons.

“However, this is not substantial. The application ought not to have been permitted in the first place,” Krnacova said.

The police are checking the Sunday rally as breach of the peace.

Konvicka told CTK on Sunday that he had mainly wanted to shock the public.

“I disagree with the acceptation of migrants, but I do not think it is normal that some people drive across the Old Town Square, arousing fear and panic,” Krnacova said.

The Greens have filed a criminal complaint over the Sunday rally, party leader Matej Stropnicky said on the Facebook on Monday.

“At first, the police were checking it as spreading a false alarm, but after consulting the state attorney’s office, this was changed to breach of the peace,” Stropnicky said.

“However, it seems to us that in this way, the act can only be denoted as a minor offence,” Stropnicky said.

The rally can deter foreign tourists from visiting the Czech Republic if the foreign press, especially in Europe and the USA, reports about it, Jan Papez, deputy chairman of the Association of Czech Travel Agents, has told CTK.

“In the long run, we have been considered a safe destination. The events of this type can easily demolish this image of the Czech Republic,” Papez said, calling the rally a large embarrassment which would, as he hoped, not have any durable effect on the number of foreign tourists.

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