An expression of solidarity with refugees on the social networking site Facebook brought a café in the city Brno a wave of offensive reactions and threats. Insults and intimidation on the cafe's Facebook page appeared under a photograph posted with the message "Solidarity with Refugees #Accept," which the restaurant's owners and visitors liked to show their support for refugees in the Czech Republic.

According to the café's manager, Teresa Náhlíková, the owner of the café approached the police with screenshots of the worst messages and threats, which included a message that someone "will pay a visit" to the café.

"We wanted, among other things, advice on what to do in such a situation, and also asked the police for more frequent patrols," Náhlíková said. But the response from the police was clear: as long as nothing happens, they can't help.

Assaulted customer

The group of football hooligans known as the Johny Kentus Gang, wearing clothes with traditional neo-Nazi symbols, visited the café after participating in a public demonstration against refugees, which was organized by neo-Nazi groups. The hooligans made threats inside the restaurant, including a promise to return, then left without paying.

They returned the next day and took a picture of the front of the café and posted it online with the message "Refugees #WeDoNotAccept." They then demanded that their banners be displayed inside the establishment. After one of the guests stood up in defense of the café and its employees, the patron was assaulted by one of hooligans.

No help from police

"We called the police on Friday and Saturday immediately after [the hooligans] came to the café," Náhlíková said. "In both cases, they arrived after about half an hour, stayed for about twenty minutes, and left, telling us to call them when something happens again, and that there is no reason to feel threatened. We did feel, however, that the police would not protect us in times of need."