Supporters of the Marian column are still at the Old Town Square

Prague - Members of the Society for the Restoration of the Marian Column have still not left the site at Prague's Old Town Square, where they plan to erect a replica of the original column from the 17th century. On Saturday, sculptor Petr Váňa and his associates placed a part of the railing of the column weighing about 1.5 tons in the square. The sculptor claims that he has the right to execute the construction based on a valid building permit, even though he currently lacks an approved land occupation. The municipal police has been present at the site all along and has not yet attempted to remove the members of the association from the location. However, a conflict arose on Saturday when the sculptor's brother, Tomáš Váňa, began to dismantle the pavement.

Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) stated that Váňa does not have the right to the construction because the land is owned by Prague, which disagrees with the placement of the column based on a resolution of the city council.

"I had to leave because I hadn't slept for two nights, so I went home to wash and change," Váňa told ČTK today, who spent the entire night on-site. He added that he and other members of the association are taking turns at a petition booth so that the transported part of the balustrade is not left unattended. Since it is a construction site, the law requires it. "There are already people who have reported that they will stay overnight," said the sculptor. Váňa will be on-site from Monday afternoon until the next day.

"We are stone sculptors, not activists," Váňa further stated, who made the column from donated money and transported it to Prague in 250 pieces via the Vltava River on Tuesday. He claims to now plan to place the column in the square regardless of the authorities' resistance. He attempted the construction with his associates as early as late May. After they began dismantling the pavement at the historic location of the statue, they had to restore the site to its original condition after the intervention of the municipal police.

The sculptor's brother, Tomáš Váňa, also attempted to remove the pavement on Saturday, but was stopped by the municipal police. According to Prague 1 and the city council, Váňa does not have the right to place the statue in the square because he lacks the owner's consent, which is the City of Prague. The sculptor claims that the decision of the state administration, which issued the building permit, entitles him to do so. According to him, land occupation is only necessary for the area around the construction, which he does not utilize. Part of the statue's railing was transported to the site on hand carts on Saturday.

According to Váňa, the municipal police threatened on Saturday that they would order a company to restore the site to its original state at the association's expense. This has not yet happened. At the same time, there is a petition booth on-site that does not require permission. It is not yet clear whether the authorities will intervene against the action in any way.

The column from the 17th century was toppled by a crowd in 1918, as they saw it as a symbol of the Habsburg monarchy. Discussions about its return have been ongoing since the 1990s. Supporters of the restoration consider the Marian Column a symbol and a reminder of the defenders of Prague during the Thirty Years' War, as well as an important work of art from which Baroque sculpture in Bohemia evolved. According to opponents, it is a symbol of Habsburg domination and the intolerant re-Catholicization of the country. The Prague city council last expressed its opposition to the return of the column in 2017.