Via Prague

I didn't get to see Condoleeza Rice during her visit to Prague today. But, in a scene reminiscent of President Bush's visit to the Golden City last summer, I could hear the helicopters covering her motorcade buzzing high over the city during my English lessons at the government office. Rice was here to sign a treaty with the country's Foreign Minister for a proposed missile defence radar not far from Prague. The Bush Administration says the system is necessary to protect Europe from potential nuclear attacks from Iran and North Korea. The actual missiles would be located in Poland just across the border.
Meanwhile, in the evening after my last class, I went to Vaclavski Namesti, the city's main square, where some two thousand Czechs gathered to protest the radar. Surveys have shown about two-thirds of Czechs oppose the radar. They waved flags and signs that said, in no particular order:
'Ne Zakladnam!' (!) No Base!
'Ne Radar!'
'Není rozhodnuto!' (No Decision!)
'Dekujeme, Necheceme' (Thanks, but we don't want it!)
'Nejsme ovčane' (We are not sheep!)
'Nejsme terč!' (We are not a target!)
'Condoleeza is not Welcome!'
I drifted through the crowd. Many people wore shirts specially made bearing an anti-missile logo that's become quite common here, as bumper stickers and such. Over the past year or so, I've become pretty familiar with the issues, as have most people who live here. It reminds me a bit of Humboldt County, during all the old timber protests, and of course the protests over Iraq. Most Czechs say they're afraid the radar will make the country a target for future attacks. Also, the radar triggers historical memories of occupations by foreign armies.
In the crowd as I survey it, I see one man wearing on the back of his shirt three images:
1939: A picture of Hitler, referring to the Nazi occupation.
1968: A picture of the Russian hammer and sickle, referring to the 1968 Warsaw Pact (Russian) invasion
2008: A picture of George W. Bush, you guess
'It's exactly like an occupation,' says one young woman, Dana, who is with a group called Movement Humanity.
'But for me,' she goes on, 'I worked in Africa and I saw the poverty there. I don't understand why we have these weapons. With the money we spend on these weapons we could use to solve bigger problems in poor countries.'
'So why would the Czechs sign a treaty if 70 percent of the people are against it?' I ask.
She shrugs.
'Well, that is how it is here in Czech,' she says.
'Do you think there should be a referendum?'
'Yes, of course.'
I take one of her fliers and move on.
Up near the stage, where they're getting ready to start, I bump into a journalist. His notepad gives him away. I introduce myself. He hands me a card, Karel Janíček, AP Prague. We talk a minute.
'Do you really think this can be compared to the 68 invasion?' I ask.
'No, not at all,' he says. 'You have to understand, a lot of these people here -- a lot of them are just old Communists,' There are a lot of old people there, true, but also lots of young people.
'Old Communists, and also the extreme left of the country.'
Karel wanders off to get more quotes.
One man, Jiři Novotny, carries a sign that says 'No to Radar.' I ask him if he speaks English and he says, a little. But just before I start to interview him another journalist, a big fellow in a blue suit, a television cameraman in tow, strides heavily in. 'Do you speak English?' he asks Novotny.
'Yes,' Novotny repeats.
'So you don't like the U.S. radar -- why?' the journalist asks. I detect a foreign accent, but can't determine where he's from.
'I think the radar is totally nonsense,' Novotny says.
'-- Yes,' the journalist interrupts, 'But isn't it nonsense to come here and protest when it's already been approved?'
The journalist is referring to the U.S. Secretary of State having signed the treaty today. Technically, however, it still must be approved by the Czech Parliament, which could take several months some speculate.
Novotny repeats much of this.
'I think the process is not finished,' Novotny says. 'And in November in the U.S. there will be a new president, so perhaps it could be different.'
The hefty TV journalist, satisfied, whisks off into the crowd. I stay with Novotny.
'But what about Vaclav Havel?' I ask. Havel was the hero of the 1989 revolution that overcame 40 years of Communist rule, and the first Czech Republic president. Havel has publicly supported the radar.
'Yes,' Novotny says thoughtfully. 'But you know, Havel has very strong feelings for the United States, he was a dissident for many years ... But in the past 10 years you must admit the political situation in your country has rapidly changed. The U.S. has many problems, politically and economically. This radar, I think it's all about business. It's not about politics.'
'You mentioned the U.S. election,' I say. 'So do you like Obama or McCain?'
'I don't have enough information,' Novotny said. 'But at this point, I think I like Obama better.'
Up on the podium some people are giving speeches, roaring up the crowd, but I can't quite understand, my Czech still isn't good enough. So I wander over to a young woman wearing an anti-radar shirt. She introduces herself as Simona Kašparova.
'Student?' I ask.
'No, I work as a dispatcher for the international road transport system.' It's hard to hear her over the crowd. The speakers are leading them on to various Cheers and Boos. At one point I hear Condoleeza Rice's name mentioned, followed by boos and whistles.
'So you're against the radar,' I say.
She nods.
'I don't see why it is necessary,' she says. 'I am afraid we will be like target. And also I don't want to destroy the nature.'
I stayed about an hour. By then it was after seven. The traffic had actually stopped. Police were there, but just monitoring. There was no violence or anything out of hand. Earlier I had asked around to see if the U.S. Secretary of State was expected to drop by. No, most said with a laugh. Actually Rice spent the evening at the U.S. Ambassador's place up in Prague 6. She's expected to fly to Poland tomorrow to discuss that country's end of the deal. Meanwhile, as I said, Rice's signing of the treaty today doesn't exactly close the deal. Parliament still must approve it, a vote which could come in a few weeks, or a few months. It's still not clear. Right now, the country's Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and his party the Civic Democrats, support the radar. But it faces heavy opposition from the Social Democrats, Communists and Greens. As usual here in Czech Republic, uvidime. We will see.