Anti -government protests were organized in over 50 cities of Slovakia. – We insist that this government actually begins to cooperate with partners in Europe and not to strive for insulation of Slovakia – said one of the protests organizers, Marian Kulich on the initiative of “Room for Ukraine”. The call was also repeated that Prime Minister Robert Fico resigned.
In Bratislava, a crowd of people was filled on Friday by Wolności Square located near the headquarters of the government before the beginning of the protest. The organizers of the rally repeated the call from two weeks ago and demanded the resignation of Robert Ficy from the position of prime minister. There were shouts in the crowd: “Resignation”, “We are ashamed of Fica”, “Betrayal”, “Russian agent”. First of all, the main slogan of the demonstration was chanted: “Slovakia is Europe.”
The organizers of the demonstration on the initiative of “Room for Ukraine” also called for the government to reject all cooperation with Russiawhich wants a war with Ukraine and threatens Slovakia. Devotion was demanded in governing, which, among other things, concerns the lack of explanation why the Prime Minister of Slovakia for talks with the President of Russia Vladimir Putinwhich took place at the end of December in the Kremlin, flew alone. It was also demanded that the head of the cabinet refrain from attacks on the fighting Ukraine and its leaders.
The “Peace for Ukraine” initiative was created after the invasion of Russia. She collected money for the purchase of equipment for soldiers. From aids to ammunition and heavy equipment.
“Robert Fico actually pulls us to Moscow”
– No decent representation meets Putin, an international war criminal and mass murderer. Fico became the main hero of the Russian hybrid war in Slovakia. Prime Minister Fico changes Slovakia into a Russian governorate – it was said during a rally. Science and humming were also present when the name of the President of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini was from the stage.
– Robert Fico actually pulls us to Moscow, actually deprives Slovakia of her sovereignty and is made by Moscow's subordinates – said one of the protests organizers, Marian Kulich on the initiative of “Room for Ukraine”. – We insist that this government actually begins to cooperate with partners in Europe and not to strive for the isolation of Slovakia. Otherwise, he will not have the right to represent Slovakia – he noted.
Kulich also said that it is clear that Fico is lying from the very beginning. “He probably conducts some hybrid surgery and tries to radicalize his supporters,” he said. He also noted that the prime minister actually uses human emotions as a tool to maintain power, manipulates and disseminates demagogy.
– We don't believe them anymore. They assure us that Slovakia is and will be member of the European Union and NATObut they try to legalize contacts with the criminal regime at all costs. There is no consent for this – said Vojtech, a 50 -year -old history teacher from Bratislava. Freshly baked students Tomasz and Marosz, one of Koszyce, and the other from Brno, met during the break after the exams and went for a demonstration. They got a piece of bristol and with a marker they wrote: “We decided to be here ourselves. Soros doesn't pay us.”
Anti -government demonstrations in Slovakia
Anti -government demonstrations began in December last year in response to Meeting of the head of the Slovak government with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. A few weeks later, Fico defended his party colleague and vice -chairman of the parliament Tibor Gaspar, who in one of the television debates stated that Slovakia could leave the European Union.
The next protests are to take place in two weeks, i.e. on the 7th anniversary of the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée. He wrote, among others, about the unclear interests of people close to the government, whose boss then was Robert Fico. In March 2018, he gave up the prime minister under the pressure of thousands of protests.
According to the organizers, 40,000 people took part in the Friday protest organized in Bratislava, the capital of the country, while around 100,000.
Fico has been charged many times for a long time, the organizers of civic protests, opposition parties and the media unfavorable to him of an attempt to overthrow the government. In addition to accusing the organizers of protests of an attempt to assassination, the politicians of the government coalition said that the alleged coup was a Georgian Legion. He was about to be behind the protests in Ukraine and Georgia.
Source of the main photo: Jakub Gavlak/EPA/PAP