Zdenik Stefek
Communist Youth Union (KSM), Czech Republic
Contribution to the International Communist Seminar
"Imperialism, Fascisation and Fascism"
Brussels, 2-4 May 2000
The "velvet counter-revolution" took place in the Czech Republic on
17 November 1989. It started off the process of restoring capitalism —
wild capitalism. The witchhunt against everything progressive and especially
the communists began in 1990. The accomplices in the witchhunt and in promoting
discrimination and a fascizing society included legislation, ultra-right organisations
and the illegal methods used by the repressive state apparatus and by other
institutions and individuals.
Legislation containing discriminatory and fascisizing elements:
* two screening laws
* the Law on the Illegality of the Communist Regime
* a law allowing prosecution of people accused of committing "crimes under communism" regardless of when the alleged "crime" was committed
* the Criminal Code (which allows prosecution of movements promoting "class hatred")
In connection with the Czech Republic’s continuing economic and political problems, which has been accompanied by an increase in voter support for the communist party, the "red-baiters" proposed a new amendment to the Criminal Code making communist ideology, and even sympathy for it, a criminal offence. It is no secret that this was to be a pretext for the banning of the Communist Party and also the Communist Union of Youth. But fortunately it was defeated in Parliament (by one vote!) at the beginning of April.
Ultra-right organisations
Signs of fascism are increasingly apparent in ultra-right organisations, which are more and more beginning to coordinate their activities internationally. Organisations which do not hide their parliamentary ambitions, even from their worst enemy — the communist, are uniting. Their demonstrations and marches are increasingly more visible. Anti-fascists in the Czech Republic are mostly in the minority and, because of sectarianism, especially among the anarchists, they are unable to create a united anti-fascist front (something we are trying to change). Hidden fascism in the bourgeois parliamentary parties is beginning to show its face.
Other illegal methods
Based on direct experience, it can be said that:
the Czech Republic’s national police force mostly sides with the neo-fascists. They permit their activities, while banning the anti-fascists and using violence to break up their demonstrations
the sons of senior national police officers are often ultra-right and racist sympathisers
in their struggle against the communists some right-wing politicians would not think twice about restricting important civil rights (or taking up weapons to defeat the communists)
under pressure of public opinion, even anti-communists are speaking out against fascism (even though they themselves practise political racism)
the anti-communists are trying to equate fascism and communism.
according to unconfirmed reports, contacts are being established by right-wing parliamentary parties with the neo-fascists, who are offering themselves as a weapon to break up trade union and left-wing actions
left-wing organisations, including the Communist Union of Youth, are under close surveillance by the secret services and their members are covertly persecuted.
Examples:
police violence against anti-fascists on May Day 1999, after the neo-fascists were allowed to march through Prague, and also on 28 Otober 1999 in Prague
arrest by the police of five young communists, who protested against US dictates during a speech by Albright. They face up to eight years in prison because they had, for example, a hammer and sickle on their banners…