" We want to turn the political orientation of the Czech Republic 180 degrees. We want to achieve the turning point non-violently, " stated Jirí Havel, one of the main organizers of the demonstrations, at the beginning of the rally in Prague.
Ladislav Vrábel, another main organizer of the demonstrations, said that the government should resign and new elections should be called. "Nationally committed experts should take over the management of the country," declared Vrábel.
Tens of thousands of people take part in the demonstration in the center of Prague
the Czech police announced on Twitter.
The organizers have not yet commented on the number of protesters. The current series of demonstrations is a continuation of the movement in Prague at the beginning of September, in which, according to the police, 70,000 people took part, and according to the organizers, more than 100,000 people took part. Dozens of Czech flags flew above the crowd, and several banners criticizing the government were visible.
Christine Anderson, a member of the European Parliament of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), and Petr Bystron, a member of the German federal parliament of the party, also spoke at the Prague demonstration. On behalf of the AfD, both assured the protesters of their support.
„Together we fight against the globalists for family, God, country and freedom ”
Bystron, of Czech origin, announced in Prague. The two German politicians and several Czech speakers also said that they were supporters of former US President Donald Trump's policies.
The series of demonstrations on Wednesday was the largest public movement against the coalition government that has been in office for nine months.
The " Czech Republic is in the first place! "non-violent revolution ", the speakers said that the current Czech government is anti-social, unable to cope with the energy crisis, rising inflation, pushing the population into poverty with its flawed policies and plunging the country into disaster. They demanded that the Czech economy be freed from foreign dependence, that the country be neutral, and that the government agree directly with Moscow on the import of Russian gas.
The main organizers of the anti-government demonstrations, the individuals who call themselves politically independent, also demand that the Czech Republic withdraw from NATO, the European Union, and the UN, and stop providing "excessive" aid to Ukrainian refugees .
The central anti-government movement in Prague's Wenceslas Square was watched by the demonstrators on large projectors in the center of more than a dozen large Czech cities.
„The government's economic policy is completely flawed, and if we add to this the similarly flawed green policy of the European Union and Ukraine policy, the result cannot be anything but disaster and poverty”
- Miroslav Sevcík, dean of the Faculty of National Economics of the Prague School of Economics, repeated his earlier words at the current demonstration.
In addition to the government, the speakers - mainly left-wing, nationally oriented figures, civil society organizations and representatives of non-parliamentary parties - sharply criticized the European Union, primarily Brussels' energy policy, and also described its official approach to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict as flawed.
While tens of thousands took part in the protests in Prague, one to two thousand or a few hundred in other big cities. The anti-government demonstrations were broadcast live on the Internet by the public service news television (CT24) with frequent live broadcasts, and by the Czech news agency CTK and some news portals.
Among the parliamentary parties, the demonstration was supported only by the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) movement.
Several speakers criticized the fact that the government supports Ukraine with weapons while neglecting the interests of the Czech population.
According to Prime Minister Petr Fiala, the demonstration in Prague at the beginning of September was called by pro-Russian, extremist forces that work against the interests of the Czech Republic.
Everyone has the right to express an opinion and demonstrate. I think these events are not in line with the interests of the Czech Republic and its people
stated the Prime Minister.
The government politicians have not yet commented on the current demonstrations. The analysts who spoke on public television believed that the government should not underestimate the movements, because they express the opinion of the part of the population that is in a difficult situation.
Source: MTI
Our cover image: MTI/EPA
