Author: kate

Some how I did not take any photographs of this magical place… but there are many by others and they are BEAUTIFUL! The journey to Mottinger Amt (a.k.a.) MoA in Waldviertel was a mixture of picturesque rolling hills and cycle paths past corn fields, idyllic looking villages and the sun setting on the Czech mountains behind us. It then became much cooler and eerier during dusk as we entered the 10km long military zone, only passable after 4pm each evening when target practice was over.  There was reason to feel the comfort in not crossing this barren strip alone, at…

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On entering Prague we were joined by someone from the local Critical Mass network, who after a quick rehearsal in how to create a critical mass, decided that the 50 strong cyclists were enough to take on the highway into the capital city of Czech Republic! This was our first self made Critical Mass so far and for some their first, with 3 people setting the pace at the front … S L OOOOO W L Y!… then 10 blockers who smiled sweetly as they blocked off the side roads to let the mass of cyclists through as though we…

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On leaving Usti we made it along the Elbe to a secluded Wagenplatz through a contact we had made in Prague. Here they were preparing for a festival of local community projects, which we unfortunately could not attend but, after supper, which was prepared there for us, we shared some films on their open air cinema. More is written about this and the films in a later post…

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In Usti we were invited to join a group of activists, NE RASISMU!, from Usti and Prague that are concentrating on Roma racism, anti-ciganism, and antifascism, to learn about the situation tere from the people directly involoved. We met the group at one of the biggest ‘ghettos’ in Czech Republic; Predlice in the city of Usti nad Labem. Due to privatization of housing, systematic discrimination and also generally very bad living conditions of Roma people there, the actual situation can be seen as the beginning of humanitarian crisis. The group met us with instruments, circus props and footballs, in preparation…

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