Entrance of the ČT editor from the anti-government demonstration on Wenceslas Square (source: ČT24)
On Saturday, people gathered at Wenceslas Square in Prague for an anti-government demonstration organized by the non-parliamentary party PRO (Právo Respekt Odbornost) and the related association Česko proti bíde. According to the organizers, the cabinet of Petr Fiala (ODS) is losing the trust of the population and thus the mandate to govern. In the upper part of the square there were also opponents of this assembly, who had Czech and Ukrainian flags as well as NATO flags. According to spokesman Richard Hrdina, the police did not have to intervene and none of the participants disturbed public order.
Czech flags also flew over the heads of protesters against the coalition government. There were chants of “resign” or “we want peace”. According to the chairman of the PRO party, Jindřich Rajchl, the aim of the demonstration is to put a “stop sign” on the government. “This government is anti-Czech, it should resign immediately,” he said from the podium.
He also criticized President Petr Pavel, whom he called a “disgrace of the country” and a “political puppet”. “We will not bow down to Brussels and Washington,” Rajchl said in his speech. He also rejected the adoption of the common European currency, the climate policy of the European Union, the system of emission allowances and the upcoming ban on internal combustion engines.
“I also registered several Slovak flags with which the participants want to support Slovakia. According to the chairman of PRO Rajchl, who called this protest, the Czech government has damaged relations with Slovakia. He therefore wrote an open letter to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico with other participants in this protest. All participants in the demonstration can also join with their signature,” said CT editor Alžběta Kvitová, who is on Wenceslas Square.
“One of the speakers also read a short greeting from former president Miloš Zeman, who is currently in hospital. The organizers also played Zeman’s Christmas speech from last year,” informed Kvitová.
Rajchl refuses to label the protest as pro-Russian, according to him, it should only point to the problems of the Czech Republic, Kvitová further stated, adding that Rajchl is also against the alleged involvement of the Czech Republic in the conflict with Ukraine.
The organizers built the stage under the statue of St. Wenceslas. People can sign various petitions at the stands. This time there are Easter market stalls in the places where participants usually gather.
Other speakers included former social democratic prime minister, now chairman of the non-parliamentary party Czech Sovereignty of Social Democracy Jiří Paroubek, senator for the Independent Jana Zwyrtek Hamplová and former artistic director of the National Theater Ballet Petr Zuska.
There were speeches against the war in Ukraine and against the alleged involvement of the Czech Republic in it. “It’s not our war. We don’t want to go to war. We want to live in peace and friendship with everyone,” said Jaroslav Foldyna, a member of the SPD opposition movement. Another SPD MP, Jiří Kobza, urged those present not to vote for anyone who will not defend Czech interests in the European elections. “We have a common enemy and he is sitting in the Straka Academy and in Brussels,” he said.
Anti-government demonstrators and their opponents were getting into verbal altercations, the situation was calmed down by police officers from the anti-conflict team, police spokesman Hrdina said. According to him, however, the police did not have to intervene.
The fourth protest in a row
Saturday’s anti-government protest follows three demonstrations last year by the same organizers. Thousands of people in Prague protested against the government for the last time last September. Back then, after a two-hour event on Wenceslas Square, they went on a march to Letná, now there are no plans. Before that, thousands of people gathered in April and March.
After the March demonstration, some of the participants tried to remove the Ukrainian flag from the National Museum. In a Facebook video this week, Rajchl urged participants not to attack Ukrainian flags.