People in Ústí protested against the demolition of houses in the center

Ústí nad Labem - This afternoon, several dozen people gathered in front of the city hall in Ústí nad Labem to protest against the widespread demolition of houses in the city's historic architecture. The gathering was called by the Green Party, which opposes the plan by the company INT to demolish 26 houses near the western railway station and build an Interspar hypermarket in their place. The investor's application is currently being reviewed by officials of the Ústí building authority.
    "This mass demolition represents a complete erasure of the district known as the New Town, built in the 19th century outside the city walls," said Jiří Škoda, one of the event's organizers, to ČTK. The protesters demanded that the building authority return the application if there is any doubt about the accuracy and completeness of the submitted documentation, and urged the investor to reconsider their plans and implement a refined project in Ústí nad Labem that respects the city's character.
    What the central part of Ústí nad Labem will look like in the future is still unknown to the public. According to the city's mayor, Jan Kubata, the district is totally devastated and the city supports the development of the center and the removal of these buildings. "On the other hand, we have clearly stated that we want a visualization of the plan, and until then, we will not issue any other statement," Kubata told reporters.
    Opponents of the demolitions also pointed out that the regional city has already gained a reputation in the past for heartless interventions in historic architecture. According to Škoda, it holds the national record for the number of houses simultaneously demolished, as on February 23, 1980, 19 houses fell in a matter of seconds on the main Ústí boulevard. "We hoped that such barbaric demolitions had ended 20 years ago," Škoda said.
    The protest organized by the Ústí Green Party is supported by, among others, the Faculty of Philosophy of the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, the Committee of the Ústí Museum and Regional Society, the civic association Healthy Ústí, and other clubs and organizations. "Investors should treat the city of Ústí nad Labem and its citizens with respect and dignity. We do not live in the era of socialism anymore, when widespread demolitions destroyed urbanism and the character of our cities," said Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy Michaela Hrubá.