Prague Citizens: No to Radar!

While Poland seems gung-ho about hosting the United States' missile defence shield, Czechs, known for their culture of protesting, have taken to the streets in, well, protest of the proposed missile shield radar being located on Czech territory.

This past Saturday, between 1,000 and 2,500 people were on Prague's streets, holding signs reading things like "No to radar" and "Stop Bush's crusade," among many other clever slogans. The demonstration involved much yelling and chanting as well as the distribution of leaflets about the proposed radar base. The protest was organized by the No to Bases group, an organization strongly opposed to the planned U.S. radar base in the Czech Republic. The radar base would be part of the American missile defence shield planned to be based in Poland and the Czech Republic, with the actual missile interceptors being located on Polish territory.

Among the protesters were several current and former politicians, as well as members of the Green Party (SZ) from all over the Czech Republic. Despite these protests and general disapproval from the Czech public, the Czech government has been officially negotiating about the defence shield with the United States since early May. Most of the protesters believed that the proposed missile shield is simply part of the current American administration's pre-emptive strike strategy that hasn't been working too well in the Middle East, while others called for the Czech people "not to allow themselves to be manipulated into the American game aimed to enhance the U.S. armament companies' profit." In the latest polls, about 60% of Czechs are opposed to the project, and 75% want the issue to be decided on in a referendum, though the ruling centre-right parties are more eager to accommodate the American plan.

As talks about the proposed missile shield continue, United States President George W. Bush will be visiting Poland and Prague in early June, presumably to tell the Czech people that their protests are in vain. We can be assured of one thing - this demonstration was just the beginning of greater protests to come.