Jan Kucera RIP

Submitted by Tacks on January 23, 2008

'antifa.cz'

Jan Kucera - Another victim of neo-nazis

About one thousand people gathered on 19 January, 2008 in Pilsen, Czech Republic, to commemorate the victims of nazi terror: 66 years ago, Jews from Pilsen were deported to concentration camps, but nobody knew that another victim of current neo-nazi violence is at the very same time fighting for his life in a hospital.

On 18 January in Pribram, a town 50 km south-west of Prague, 20-year-old neo-nazi Jiri Fous stabbed 18-year-old Jan Kucera in the groin and back about an hour to midnight. Before this attack, young local neo-nazis were provoking with nazi salutes and offending a group of young punks and antifascist skinheads, to which Jan belonged. Jan’s friends were trying to stop the bleeding from his femoral artery and called for an ambulance. Neither the paramedics nor Jan’s friends realized that Jan had also been stabbed in the back before it was too late. Jan lost massive amounts of blood and fell unconscious. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but even though he was in the hands of professional doctors, he died on Sunday morning.

Jan Kucera was an antifascist skinhead from Pribram, and he was never afraid to express his opinions. In his Internet profile, he wrote: "I’m a normal boy and I consider myself a SHARP skinhead. I don’t care who my friends are - I don’t judge people because of their musical taste, their clothes or the colour of their skin. I judge people by what they do. Anybody can write to me. I hate nazis, the bourgeoisie, communists and similar scum! Antifascista Oi!"

He stood by his opinions until the very end. He will stay forever in the hearts of his family, friends, and all people with an antifascist attitude. Honour to his memory.

The video here shows how brave this guy was. Pretty upsetting, i warn you.

http://www.denik.cz/multimedia/video/256395.html

Ed

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on January 24, 2008

Was just about to post about this. Really brave guy. It seems that nazis across europe have been getting pretty knife happy. When I was in Sweden the nazis there were taking out knives all the time. its been a scary year all round for anti-fascists.. :(

Vaneigemapprec…

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Vaneigemapprec… on January 24, 2008

It seems that nazis across europe have been getting pretty knife happy.

Because they know they'll take a beating if they try anything without one. Fucking cowards.

I don't know if there's a link but attacks with knives seem far more common amongst mainland european football firms than here in Britain.

Condolences go out to the lads friends and family, he was clearly someone who lived by his principles, RIP Jan Kucera

jambo1

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by jambo1 on January 24, 2008

it seems more and more that neo nazis are using weapons now, its a bad sign. r.i.p. jan

sum-one

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by sum-one on January 24, 2008

Another comrade killed :(

RIP :bb:

sum-one

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by sum-one on January 24, 2008

Just saw that video :eek: . That guy was fucking brave.

Vaneigemapprec…

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Vaneigemapprec… on January 24, 2008

I've just watched the video too, I'd like to say i'd do the same if me and my mates were faced by a knife wielding nazi, and i hope i would, but that is bravery of the utmost. All credit to the bloke.

petey

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by petey on January 24, 2008

honor to kucera. a bit disturbing especially, as i'm reading with my fifth-graders (10-11 y.o.) a book called "number the stars", about a danish family who take in a jewish girl during the nazi years, her danish girlfriend declaring that she'd give her life against the nazis to protect her.

wheresmyshoes

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by wheresmyshoes on January 25, 2008

This is very sad:( He was very brave to have fought that guy even with a big knife in his hand. RIP

raw

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by raw on January 25, 2008

Its fucking sad. Yeah he was brave but he should have never tried to fight someone with a knife unless he was wearing kevlar.

ftony

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by ftony on January 25, 2008

Poor guy. RIP. Non pasaran. :rb:

i presume there'll be a vigil like all the others in recent months, yeah?

sum-one

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by sum-one on January 25, 2008

I suppose it was a split second decision, Raw. They deffinately seem to be using weapons more and more often now, theres been quite a few antifascists killed in the last year now. Looks like its getting pretty fucking bad across Europe.

Inigo Montoya

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Inigo Montoya on January 26, 2008

Funeral:

Tacks

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Tacks on January 26, 2008

respect

Steven.

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on January 26, 2008

Vaneigemappreciationclub

I've just watched the video too, I'd like to say i'd do the same if me and my mates were faced by a knife wielding nazi, and i hope i would

like raw says, i'd hope you wouldn't. You can't fight a knife with your bare hands. so sad :(

fnbrill

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by fnbrill on January 26, 2008

Steven.

Vaneigemappreciationclub

I've just watched the video too, I'd like to say i'd do the same if me and my mates were faced by a knife wielding nazi, and i hope i would

like raw says, i'd hope you wouldn't. You can't fight a knife with your bare hands. so sad :(

Actually you can fight a knife with your bare hands, it's a common training in marshal arts.

Tacks

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Tacks on January 26, 2008

sorry, can the little boys who want to talk about fighting please do it elsewhere?

I found the comment about kevlar tasteless enough, now you are discussing fighting techniques...

You sound like Gareth from The Office. "No, cos what i'd do right, is turn round really fast and karate chop you"

Jan Kucera was clearly murdered in pretty cold blood - as you can see he was being followed for quite some way by a guy with a huge knife who was quite determined to stab someone.

Now please have some manners and judge the tone better in future.

j.rogue

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by j.rogue on January 26, 2008

Before I watch the video, can I ask, does it show him being stabbed?

Tacks

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Tacks on January 26, 2008

unfortunately yes.

fnbrill

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by fnbrill on January 26, 2008

Tacks

sorry, can the little boys who want to talk about fighting please do it elsewhere?

I found the comment about kevlar tasteless enough, now you are discussing fighting techniques...

You sound like Gareth from The Office. "No, cos what i'd do right, is turn round really fast and karate chop you"...Now please have some manners and judge the tone better in future.

I'm sorry if I offended you, I was simply making an observation. I wasn't meaning to be flip in the least.

Devrim

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Devrim on January 26, 2008

I'd be interested in what 'Guardia' has to say about this. Of course our sympathy goes out to the family of somebody murdered by fascists. When we were working in the Czech Republic, we met a gypsy guy from Slovakia whose brother had been put away for murdering a fascist in self defence. As I understood it, they were both Trotskyists at the time, in the organisation that was 'Workers' Power' in the UK. In the period that the guy was being tried for murder anarchists refused to support him because he was a 'Bolshevik'.

Later he became closer to the communist left (not that much so-the first time he heard me speak in a public meeting, he denounced me as a Stalinist), as a result of the solidarity work our people did for his brother, which some 'anarchists' refused.

To me, if we express our solidarity with the people, who die, or are imprisoned for physically fighting fascists we do it with all who do it, regardless of which political organisation they belong to.

At a time like this it seems a bit impolitic to bring up political questions, but they are important. Looking from Ankara it is very easy to compare the whole situation with the left/right gang war of the late seventies. Yet, and the whole time that we were in Eastern Europe we argued that 'anti-fascism' was a game played by certain anarchists. It seemed reminiscent of gang warfare, completely divorced from any activity within the working class, even more so than it appeared to be in the 1980s to our comrades.

It seems to us that there needs to be a rethink on the entire question of anti-fascism.

Having said that, our sympathises are with the Honza's family and friends.

Devrim

petey

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by petey on January 26, 2008

Devrim

At a time like this it seems a bit impolitic to bring up political questions

yes, it does.

Anarchia

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Anarchia on January 27, 2008

Video footage from his funeral: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT3W_ug8HHw

Tacks

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Tacks on January 27, 2008

devrim.

ask that elsewhere. I was in UK WP sortof at the time, so i might even be able to answer it. But its not relevant here, and it is insulting to antifa cz in the context.

akai

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by akai on January 27, 2008

Some comrades from Czech Republic told us that the murderer ironically had a Roma mother.

Devrim

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Devrim on January 27, 2008

newyawka

Devrim

At a time like this it seems a bit impolitic to bring up political questions

yes, it does.

I am sorry if I offended you Newyawka, but I think that the political questions are important. I think that their is a danger of anti-fascism degenerating into gang warfare with two groups battling it out on the streets, and the working class ending up as passive observers. I think that it is important to be very wary of this.

In many western countries a political killing is quite unusual. Where we live it is not. In the worst period there was an average of 30 political murders a day in İstanbul alone. For us even though those events were nearly three decades ago, it still reverberates today, just small things like my wife panicking when we have a public meeting because she things its dangerous, the reason for Leo's mother so kooky being is what happened in the torture cells.

When we were in Eastern Europe we discussed the anti-fascist question with local anarchists. We warned against the dangers of being dragged into gang warfare. They replied that it was unavoidable, and it was necessary to be able to organise. Yet our (limited) experience didn't confirm this, we held public meetings, we leafleted factories, and didn't see any sign of fascists.

I think that it is valid to raise these points. Is anti-fascism leading people into gang warfare. It is a valid question. The death of one young man is a tragedy, but what happened in this country at the end of the 1970s/start of the 1980s was far worse.

Devrim

Devrim

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Devrim on January 27, 2008

Tacks

devrim.
ask that elsewhere. I was in UK WP sortof at the time, so i might even be able to answer it. But its not relevant here, and it is insulting to antifa cz in the context.

I didn't mention antifa cz. I used the terms 'anarchists', and 'some 'anarchists'' . I am not sure what question you might be able to answer.

Devrim

akai

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by akai on January 27, 2008

I consider myself an active antifascist, the type that goes out and harrasses fascist protests and is willing to make a direct action against the bastards. However I do this that some people in the antifascist movement get into this gang culture and often related to concert-going youth subculture. Exceptions to that have been groups of, for example, African or Latino students or Central Asians like in Moscow who were often getting beaten and organized themselves to fight back.

This question is most difficult in places where the nazis are ready to kill people.

I had many discussions about this, but it's a little hard to agree with the position of some very peaceful sorts who have argued that violence breeds violence, therefore is you are not violent towards fascists, they won't be violent towards you. This type of position can really only be held by certain members of society, i.e. white christians who look fairly normal. The rest can be a target of random violence.

That said, I do not agree with the tactic, practiced by some, that the best way to fight fascism is to prowl bars and beat up fascists sitting there. I don't necessarily mind making fun of them or even beating them, but it's no replacement for a larger movement of people who are willling to publically say no to fascism.

petey

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by petey on January 27, 2008

Devrim

I am sorry if I offended you Newyawka, but I think that the political questions are important.

aw WHO SAID THEY WEREN'T? but you (and others) just had a pissing match with anarcho (and others) over which group it was more legitimate to tar with the broad brush of supporting WWI. now you mark the killing of this bloke by continuing with the story of the-time-some-anarchists-woudn't-show-solidarity. jesus fuck just start another thread.

jambo1

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by jambo1 on January 27, 2008

i think the whys and wherefors of whether antifa means becoming gang like is not for this thread, anyone wanting to debate this should start a new one. this is about a comrade who has been tragically killed by the fash, it is to pass condolences not argue the toss.

sum-one

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by sum-one on January 27, 2008

Well said jambo. This thread is for Jan.

raw

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by raw on January 29, 2008

Tacks

sorry, can the little boys who want to talk about fighting please do it elsewhere?

I found the comment about kevlar tasteless enough, now you are discussing fighting techniques...

You sound like Gareth from The Office. "No, cos what i'd do right, is turn round really fast and karate chop you"

Jan Kucera was clearly murdered in pretty cold blood - as you can see he was being followed for quite some way by a guy with a huge knife who was quite determined to stab someone.

Now please have some manners and judge the tone better in future.

Apologies, never meant to come across as tasteless. I mentioned the Kevlar as its an idea of mine to fundraise for some kevlar hoodies for our E.european/Russia comrades. Practical solidarity and all that.

Tacks

16 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Tacks on January 29, 2008

oh, fair enough.

To be honest, i think when they know its coming, they go well prepared ;)

http://www.antifa.cz/admin/file/2007_beroun/20.jpg

Vaneigemapprec…

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Vaneigemapprec… on January 30, 2008

Thats a nice idea raw. That kevlar kit isn't cheap though.

Rob Ray

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Rob Ray on January 30, 2008

£65 each.

http://www.bladerunner.tv/product/details.php?id=Bladerunne

Tacks

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Tacks on January 30, 2008

there is actually a link to an antifascist source for those things, i assume cheaper than the going rate.

PM me if your serious.

I personally say, just give them the money.

petey

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by petey on January 30, 2008

is it this one?
http://www.bladerunner.tv/product/details.php?id=Bullet1
or when they say 'lining', do they mean kevlar?

raw

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by raw on January 30, 2008

Tacks

there is actually a link to an antifascist source for those things, i assume cheaper than the going rate.

PM me if your serious.

I personally say, just give them the money.

Well yes the idea is to organise a benefit specifically for solidarity to the antifascist youth and activists in former soviet countries and generally e.europe. I will contact some comrades in moscow and ukraine first. I've been told that there is some culture of wearing stab proof vests in moscow.

As you might be aware there has also been a spate of killings in ukraine of mainly young migrants by neo-nazi skinhead gangs, one happened yesterday where a 17 year old congolese boy was stabbed to death by such a gang. This is getting common in Russia and Belarussia.

Anyway, if your down on Saturday for the "how nonviolence protects the state" talk we can discuss some more things to do with this.

cheers

Ales

OliverTwister

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by OliverTwister on January 30, 2008

Well if anybody's anarchist knitting group is looking for new ideas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_mail. Its relatively cheap, and effective against knives.

Since the discussion has already gotten off topic, I'll go ahead and say that I agree with Devrim's general thrust.

jef costello

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by jef costello on February 1, 2008

This seems fairly sensible

CALL FOR ANTIFASCIST ACTION
Texte : 20 registered fascist attacks during the last 6 months.
5 people were attacked with a knife during the last 4 months
20 fascists invaded the houses of immigrants from Sudan at Kissamo Chania (Crete)
5 group attacks at houses of Pakistanese immmigrants at Rentis and at Egaleo (both areas in Athens) during the last 3 months.

Now they are organizing for the 2nd of February (tomorrow!!!) the "biggest nationalist meeting that has ever taken place in Athens" as they say. On that day they aim to gather fascists from all over Greece as well as representatives from Neonazi groups of various European countries, march at the centre of Athens, and then as it is usually happening, attack to whoever does not match their criteria.

The entrance at the House of Parliaments of the ultra right political party LAOS has encouraged them, especially some far right nationalists who are now Members of Parliament and who were cooperating with them for years.

The police's consious dereliction of duty helps them, especially at the case of the attacks at the houses of the Pakistanese immigrants, where the police delay broke every limit of tolerance.

At the same time, the government says nothing about the fascists. It was their politics though that encouraged those murderous attacks. The list is long : "zero tolerance to asylum seekers from Iraq, Afghanistan, Kurds etc", "continuous imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of immigrants", "exploitation of immigrants in the name of "hospitality"", " consious non-punishment of state or other officials who are responsible for torture, murderous "accidental firings" or other breaches of human rights" the shamefull police pogrom of immigrants in Patra.

the neofascists of Xrusi Avgi (Golden Dawn - fascist group) want to take advantage of the anniversary of the Imia incident, believing that the only way of solving the greek-turkish "problems" is war. In Cyprus they even attack against Turkish - cypriot school kids and they are preparing for a european neofascist camp during the summer.

For us the greek turkish problem will not be solved with war, but with the struggle of the people of the 2 countries for their common problems, against the state, against imperealism and to isolate any fascists and nationalists.

For the workers, the Youth and anyone who wants to be able to live in a racist free society, the actions of fascists is a challenge that must be answered quickly, in a massive and decisive way.

In this country that we all know what fascism and Chitler was and is, the SS admirers are unwelcome.

2 years ago with a massive movement of groups, political parties and organizations we managed to inbibit the european fascist camp that they were organising for Greece, as well as their meeting in Athens.

Now we must stop their central movement in Athens.

This can happen only with the massive presence of all of us that we agree on one thing : NEVER AGAIN FASCISM

All of us, political parties, syndicalist groups, student groups, students, antiracist and immigrant organizations, but also every democraticaly thinking person must come at the common demonstration on SATURDAY 2 OF FEBRUARY, AT 2 O CLOCK AT KOLOKOTRONIS SQUARE. Our target is a gathering against fascism.

SMASH FASCISM NOW

Spaced

uzumaki

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by uzumaki on February 3, 2008

Saii

£65 each.

http://www.bladerunner.tv/product/details.php?id=Bladerunne

it doesnt say kevlar or stabproof

bugbear

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by bugbear on February 4, 2008

Missed this thread last week.

RIP Jan.

Eastern Barbarian

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Eastern Barbarian on February 6, 2008

exaclty- want to have same old discussion, go to other thread.
RIP Jan Kucera- we will never forget, we will never forget. Instead of minute of silence, all life in struggle.

As for Eastern European nazis being more and more knife-happy this trened can be observed for quite few years. Reason is most of them are in fact cowardly cunts afraid to fight when they dont have numerical advantage.

Kaela815

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Kaela815 on February 6, 2008

Hey. This is really sad...I just watched the video, I think I might be related to him, I'm not positive but its really sad to go down like that. I wish I could've known him..RIP :(