CzechTek
Encyclopedia
CzechTek was an annual teknival
normally held on the weekend at the end of July in the Czech Republic
. It attracted thousands of free tekno
dancers from several European countries (40,000 people attended in 2003 and 2006). Open invitations were usually made to all soundsystems, performers and all human beings with positive thinking.
The first CzechTek was in 1994 at Hostomice. Every year the festival was held in different locations around the Czech Republic. The festival was not the same as more commercial festivals such as the Love Parade
or the Street Parade
. It was usually set on ex-military land or in a meadow near a forest. There was little or no organisation, since the idea of free tekno is based on personal freedom and responsibility, although later teknivals required organisation due to large numbers of attendees. The style and image of the people was also different from that of the Love Parade's participants, it was more underground. The location of the meeting was always revealed one day before the event on Czech rave websites.
In 2005 shortly after the start, the CzechTek festival was broken up. The organizers of CzechTek claimed to be permitted to set up the event around Mlynec, in the west of the country close to the German border. However, around 1,000 riot police arrived, using heavy equipment including tear gas, water cannon
s and the military BVP vehicle
stating damage of private property. The standoff between police and public resulted in multiple injured on both sides. A few of the injuries were severe. Protests arose outside the Czech interior ministry. The Czech president criticized the heavy use of police force. The Prime Minister, Jiří Paroubek
, defended the action, stating that the techno fans were "not dancing children but dangerous people".
Several months after the clash all charges against police were dropped. In April 2006, there was a march followed by a free party
in Strasbourg, France to protest against police repression in general and against the actions of the Czech police in closing CzechTek specifically.
Articles:
Teknival
Teknivals are large free parties which take place worldwide. They take place most often in Europe and are often illegal under various national or regional laws. They vary in size from dozens to thousands of people, depending on factors such as accessibility, reputation, weather, and law enforcement...
normally held on the weekend at the end of July in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. It attracted thousands of free tekno
Free tekno
Free tekno is the name given to the music predominantly played at free parties in Europe. The spelling of the word tekno is made to deliberately differentiate the musical style from that of techno...
dancers from several European countries (40,000 people attended in 2003 and 2006). Open invitations were usually made to all soundsystems, performers and all human beings with positive thinking.
The first CzechTek was in 1994 at Hostomice. Every year the festival was held in different locations around the Czech Republic. The festival was not the same as more commercial festivals such as the Love Parade
Love Parade
The Love Parade was a popular electronic dance music festival and parade that originated in 1989 in West Berlin, Germany. It was held in Germany annually between 1989 and 2003 in Berlin, and then from 2006 to 2010 in the Ruhr region...
or the Street Parade
Street Parade
The Street Parade is the most attended technoparade in Europe, since the end of Love Parade 2010. It takes place in Zurich, Switzerland. Comparable to Berlin's Love Parade, the Street Parade is one of the largest techno parties in the world and the largest annual event in Zurich...
. It was usually set on ex-military land or in a meadow near a forest. There was little or no organisation, since the idea of free tekno is based on personal freedom and responsibility, although later teknivals required organisation due to large numbers of attendees. The style and image of the people was also different from that of the Love Parade's participants, it was more underground. The location of the meeting was always revealed one day before the event on Czech rave websites.
History
| Date | Location | Number of people | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 July – ? 1994 | Hostomice pod Brdy | legal | at least 1000 |
| 26 July - ? 1995 | Hostomice pod Brdy | legal | at least 3000 |
| 26 – 28 July 1996 | Hostomice pod Brdy | legal | 1.500 |
| 25 – 27 July 1997 | Stará Huť near Dobríš | legal | 5.000 |
| 30 July – 4 August 1998 | Stará Huť near Dobríš | legal | 5.000 |
| 30 July - 4 August 1999 | Hradčany nad Ploučnicí near Ralsko | illegal | 5.000 |
| 28 July – 2 August 2000 | Lipnice near Třeboň | illegal | 10.000 |
| 27 – 30 July 2001 | Doksy | illegal | 10.000 |
| 26 – 31 July 2002 | Andělka near Višňová | legal | 20.000 |
| 25 July - 3 August 2003 | Letkov near Kopidlno | legal | 40.000 |
| 30 July – 3 August 2004 | Boněnov near Chodová Planá | illegal | 20.000 |
| 29 - 31 July 2005 | Mlýnec pod Přimdou | legal* | 5.000 |
| 27 – 30 July 2006 | Military Area Hradiště | legal | 40.000 |
CzechTek 2005
Water cannon
A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-pressure stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of metres / hundreds of feet. They are used in firefighting and riot control. Most water cannon fall under the category of a fire...
s and the military BVP vehicle
BVP M-80
The BVP M-80, is a Yugoslavian infantry fighting vehicle, produced in the 1980s until the Yugoslav civil wars in the 1990s.-Development:Early research and development of the M-80 began in 1969, with testing of the first completed prototype in 1974. First examples of the, BVP M-80 rolled out in 1979...
stating damage of private property. The standoff between police and public resulted in multiple injured on both sides. A few of the injuries were severe. Protests arose outside the Czech interior ministry. The Czech president criticized the heavy use of police force. The Prime Minister, Jiří Paroubek
Jirí Paroubek
Jiří Paroubek is a Czech politician, who served as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 25 April 2005 to 16 August 2006. He was also Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic Party , but resigned from his position immediately after the result of the 2010 Legislative Election was announced...
, defended the action, stating that the techno fans were "not dancing children but dangerous people".
Several months after the clash all charges against police were dropped. In April 2006, there was a march followed by a free party
Free party
A free party is a party "free" from the restrictions of the legal club scene, similar to the free festival movement. It typically involves a sound system playing electronic dance music from late at night until the time when the organisers decide to go home. A free party can be composed of just one...
in Strasbourg, France to protest against police repression in general and against the actions of the Czech police in closing CzechTek specifically.
CzechTek 2006
On 14 June 2006 an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Defence and the Association of Czech Sound Systems. The festival was held on land which was part of the Hradiště Military Region. It took place without any repeat of the previous year's violence.Czechtek Discontinued
As the co-ordinators stated (on the official site of CzechTek) after the last event (2006), Czechtek has been discontinued.See also
- TeknivalTeknivalTeknivals are large free parties which take place worldwide. They take place most often in Europe and are often illegal under various national or regional laws. They vary in size from dozens to thousands of people, depending on factors such as accessibility, reputation, weather, and law enforcement...
- Spiral TribeSpiral TribeSpiral Tribe is a free party sound system which existed in the first half of the 1990s, and became active again in 2007. The collective originated in west London and later travelled across Europe and North America. According to one member, the name came to him when he was at work, staring at a...
- DIY Culture
External links
- Official site
- Interactive Map Of CzechTek 2002
- Interactive Map Of CzechTek 2003
- Interactive Map Of CzechTek 2004
- Interactive Map Of CzechTek 2005
- Interactive Map Of CzechTek 2006
CzechTek 2005
- CzechTek 2005 Police and protests (English, Czech)
- CzechTek WebLog Czechtek 2005 & Police intervention (Czech)
- CzechTek 2005 News Events after Police intervention (English, Czech)
- CzechTek 2005 Photos Photos of Czechtek 2005
- Free4EuroAlternatives Protest in Strasbourg 2006
Articles:
- Czech freetekno party ended by police assault
- Techno festival turns to protest – Police, audience injuries show need for a tactics review, by Matt Reynolds, 3.8.2005, The Prague Post