Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Slovakia against the left-wing nationalist government of Prime Minister Robert Fico. Some opposition parties and non-governmental organizations such as the Mier Ukrajene (Peace in Ukraine) initiative are calling for this. The protest occurred on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in November 1989 against the communist regime.
The largest demonstration took place in the capital Bratislava with 50,000 participants. People there shouted slogans like “We’ve had enough of Fico!” They accuse his three-party government of endangering democracy and criticize current austerity measures to combat the country’s high debt. They also called for more support for Ukraine, which is under attack by Russia.
In his speech, liberal opposition leader Michal Simecka drew parallels between the protests that led to the fall of the communist dictatorship 36 years ago and the current demonstrations. Courage and a longing for freedom motivated the resistance at that time. “These are two values that communists did not understand and Robert Fico does not understand today. That is why he will lose just as communists lost,” the TASR news agency quoted the opposition politician as saying.
Most recently, a student’s protest at Slovakia causing a commotion. Shortly before Fico’s visit to a high school, the student had written a scathing criticism in chalk on the floor in front of the entrance. A video shows how he was criticized by someone thought to be from the school, but defended by opposition politicians who were also present. Then there were calls for a “chalk revolution” on the Internet, and people shared many images of anti-government slogans written in chalk.
