Renewed anti-Semitic and anti-German disturbance in the streets of Prague have caused considerable property damage, windows of Jewish shops whose owners have German-sounding names being smashed. Police intervention finally restored order at a late hour. The troubles began when Czech nationalists organized demonstrations against the showing of German talking pictures in Prague theatres.
“Palestine to the Jews” and Prague to the Czechs” has been the cry of the Fascists, the chief organizers of the anti-German protest which took on an anti-Semitic character. A Jewish-owned moving picture houses was damaged and Jewish patrons of other houses as well as of a number of cafes were expelled.
Dr. Ludwig Singer, president of the Jewish National Council of Czecho-Slovakia, and a member of parliament, today protested to minister of the interior Slawik, and demanded sufficient protection for Jewish life and property. M. Slawik definitely promised to accede to Dr. Singer’s wishes and has ordered drastic measures taken against the rioters.
The incidents came in for considerable discussion in parliament where a number of deputies expressed the opinion that the Fascist Nationalist disturbances were the result of the promise made to the League of Nations by the Foreign Minister, Dr. Eduard Benes, that Czecho-Slovakia would improve the treatment of its minorities, and also President Massaryk’s statement of conciliatory policy to the minorities leaders.
Prior to the latest trouble, order had been established with the arrest of 14 persons and negotiations between the government and the owners of the cinema houses to change their programs until the anti-German excitement subsides.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
