I recently went to Europe and stayed for roughly a month, traveling between different cities in Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic, mainly staying in Prague. I got to network with various European anarchists and made many valuable connections with comrades. During my stay, I got the pleasure to attend a jail demonstration in Prague.

On Friday, May 30th, anarchists and other radicals within the Prague leftist scene came out to support 6 squatters who had been arrested for occupying a site owned by the German grocery company Lidl. The squatters had been under siege by the police and the fire department for nearly two days. Autonomous centers and anarchists sent food, supplies, and their solidarity to the besieged radicals.

Prague is undergoing a housing crisis, most locals are slowly being priced out of their homes by corporations and AirBnB. Many parts of Prague, especially the districts surrounding Prague 1, resemble more and more a Disneyland for tourists. Active gentrification leaves chunks of Prague open only to tourists and corporations while residents get priced out of their homes.

Radicals in Prague have pushed back against the rising cost of living in Prague, holding demonstrations protesting AirBnB and over-tourism. However, some have taken a more direct approach through squatting. The property in dispute was purchased by Lidl in 2022 and has remained empty ever since. Radicals squatted the area and turned the building into a social center, which hosted a kindergarten, film screenings, exhibitions, and other community events. However, the police finally cracked down on community center on May 30th, arresting 6 squatters.

Around Friday May 30th, the fire department broke the siege and put up a ladder to the rooftop of the squat, allowing the police to arrest the squatters detain them at the police precinct located on Bartolomějská street. Shortly after the arrests, a call to action was shared among the various radical scenes in Prague. Anarchists, Housing Rights Activists, Palestinian solidarity activists and other radicals across Prague sat in front of the police precinct, waiting for their comrades to be released. Compared to jail demos in the United States, the scene was more akin to a picnic rather than jail demos I was used to.

No chanting, no fascist interlopers harassing the crowd, no marching. Instead, people shared vegan food, cigarettes, and a speaker played anti-cop songs while members of the crowd danced to bangers such as "Fuck Tha Police" by NWA. Amid the heavily gentrified city center tailored to tourists, the jail demo took over the street. Over the next few hours, the crowd swelled from around 20 people to nearly 50. The police initially were passive until members chalked on the sidewalk and road with anti-cop slogans. Some of the cops cornered a few community members, threatening to arrest them under the pretense of "dirtying the sidewalk" unless they got rid of some chalk that specifically had "anti police slurs" (calling Prague cops pigs).

However, no one broke under police pressure and the cops realized it was too much hassle to charge people with a misdemeanor for "dirtying the sidewalk" and instead let the targets of their harassment go. The mood changed from tense to celebratory as the formerly cornered demonstrators rejoined the crowd. For a short time, the police had a van observing the participants of the demonstration, with additional police in front of the jail demo and further on the street, surrounding the jail demo. Over time, the cops withdrew inside the precinct.

"Concerned citizens" and tourists talked to the police, expressing concerns about the jail demo, but it did not seem to be consequential. Throughout the jail demo, the numbers roughly stayed the same. People filtered in and out of the protest, bringing food, cleaning trash, and people kept each other company. Unfortunately, around roughly 8 PM, I had to leave with another comrade who needed to catch a train out of Prague later that night. By the time I left, the energy roughly stayed the same, joyful and defiant. Some of the people present at the protest informed me of a local vegan place that served free soup to those present at the jail demo, but unfortunately by the time I arrived at the restaurant, the place was packed. My friend and I settled on a pub near the apartment I was staying at, and enjoyed a nice after-action pint.

Only 5 out of the 6 squatters were released from Bartolomějska that night. With every squatter released the crowd cheered and more anti-cop bangers played on the speakers. By 9 PM, the crowd got word that the last squatter was taken to Vyšehrad, a pre-trial detention center. The last squatter was held over night, and the solidarity demonstration regrouped at 9 AM Sunday and eventually they were released at noon.

I was worried about attending a jail demo during my time in the Czech Republic, or really, any radical action. Recent efforts by the administration to deport student activists and chill speech those challenging the genocide were definitely in the back of my mind while I was traveling to the demo. However, I decided this would not deter me from supporting the efforts of squatters fighting back against a future that turns Prague into nothing more than a playground for tourists while destroying any aspect of genuine community.

The celebratory nature of the jail demo was definitely something I enjoyed. Instead of repeating chants until our voices were sore, people instead drank, eat some vegan sandwiches, and network with each other. People played music, cheered and hug their friends as they were released from jail. I am unsure that we can recreate this aspect 1:1 in the United States. The cops were way more passive in the Czech Republic than in the United States, but that didn't mean that they weren't afraid to use the power of the state to intimidate people fighting for a better future. I also chalk up the ability to draw enough numbers to at least partially block the street from a well-connected radical community, and also definitely better transportation infrastructure in Prague. I am glad to have participated in a solidarity demo against state repression of radical community.

Fuck Lidl,

Fuck AirBnB,

Fuck the police!