Girl scout confronts neo-Nazi at Czech rally
A Czech girl scout has
been praised after confronting a neo-Nazi at a rally in Brno. A widely shared
photograph shows 16-year-old Lucie Myslíková standing up to a rightwing demonstrator
as he gestures angrily. Myslíková was one of a
number of scouts who joined counter-protesters at a May Day rally held by
neo-Nazis on Monday in the Czech Republic’s second biggest city.
Lucie Myslíková standing up to a neo-Nazi demonstrator during a May Day
rally in Brno. Photograph: Vladimir Cicmanec
Czech media quoted a
police spokesman as saying the counter-demonstrators outnumbered the 150 or so
right-wingers by approximately two to one. Vladimir Cicmanec, who
took the photo of Myslíková told
CNN: “She was standing tall and she’s 16 years old and she stood proud and
made some profound arguments.”
Cicmanec, who was part
of the counter-demonstration, said: “We wanted to show the neo-Nazis that they
are not welcome here. This year the counter-protest was to make fun of and to
troll the Nazis.”
The World Organisation
of the Scout Movement posted
the photograph on its Facebook page with the message: “People from all
walks of life, and scouts among them, came to the streets during an extreme
right march yesterday to express their support for values of diversity, peace
and understanding. Creating a better world!” In the last parliamentary
elections in the Czech
Republic, in 2013, the far-right Dawn of Direct Democracy party won almost
7% of the vote.