Supporters of Bedřiška protested for several hours on the roof of a building slated for demolition

Ostrava - Supporters of the former mining colony Bedřiška in Ostrava today occupied the roof of one of the houses designated for demolition for several hours. The removal of the empty Finnish houses in the area began on Wednesday. Police monitored the situation on site, prepared to intervene only in case of threats to health or property. The activists eventually left the building themselves in the evening. Police spokesperson Pavla Jiroušková told ČTK shortly after 6:00 PM. On Wednesday, the residents of the colony reached out to President Petr Pavel and the Human Rights Commissioner Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková with a letter asking for help in saving the settlement. Both supported their effort to save Bedřiška. Activists plan to continue protesting.

The Mariánské Hory and Hulváky district wants the residents of the settlement to gradually vacate the area and is offering them alternative housing. It argues that the Finnish houses there are beyond their lifespan and the costs of repairs are high. The district wants to keep the area as a strategic reserve for the city's development. Some residents' lease agreements ended in September, and the district subsequently began demolishing the emptied houses. However, the approximately 50 residents still living in the area disagree with this. They point out that the houses are not in as poor condition as the district and the city claim.

Five people climbed onto the roof of the building. According to the district mayor Patrik Hujdus (Mayors for Ostrava), the contractor carried out the demolition works notified him. The mayor had already stated in the morning that he did not want to escalate the situation. He reached out to the police, requesting assistance. "The house will remain as it is for the time being. I have no idea what will happen next, but we do not plan to escalate the situation. On the contrary, I came here to see, I wanted to talk to the locals, but the people down here are the ones escalating," Hujdus remarked in the morning. He added that the contracted company would work in a different part of the settlement. "Unfortunately, we have information that some of their machines have been damaged and there has been some damage to equipment. The company will resolve that within the insurance framework and communicate with the competent authorities,” the mayor added. The damage to two excavators was also confirmed by the police spokesperson. The police will investigate the case.

One of the supporters of Bedřiška, who occupied the roof of the local house, considers the events in the settlement to be an injustice. "Something unique is being achieved and immediately it has to be destroyed. The city of Ostrava should take care of this unique project and not destroy it. Their technocratic view on housing, which focuses only on square meters and building regulations, ignores the unique value of mutual support that has developed here through hard work over 15 years," she stated.

Resident spokesperson Eva Lehotská told ČTK in the evening that they would also seek legal avenues to prevent the demolition of the last house from the current series of demolitions. They want to consult a lawyer on whether the demolition could be halted based on a preliminary measure. They are concerned that the neighboring house, which is still inhabited, could also be damaged. Activists intend to continue their protests, as they stated on the social network Facebook, where they are asking for support from other supporters.

Residents of Bedřiška in the Ostrava district of Mariánské Hory and Hulváky have also asked for help from President Pavel and Commissioner Šimáčková Laurenčíková in saving the settlement. They would like to negotiate with the city and district leadership in their presence. The residents wrote this in a letter that ČTK has at its disposal. The president stated today that he is saddened by the current demolition of the houses in the settlement. According to him, the settlement is a unique example of a place that the residents of an excluded area have transformed into a functioning community. According to the mayor, the president has the right to express his opinion on any topic. However, the city hall has a different opinion, he added.