A series of protests titled "Slovakia is Europe," organized by the initiative "Peace for Ukraine," are taking place in many cities across Slovakia on Friday evening, as well as abroad in countries such as Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Ireland, reports the Slovak publication Aktuality.
"Today, anti-government protests occurred throughout Slovakia, gathering tens of thousands of participants; however, there was no attempt at a coup. The largest turnout was in Bratislava, where organizers estimate up to 60,000 people gathered, making today's protest one of the largest in modern Slovak history. Nevertheless, the crowds behaved respectfully, and there were no disturbances," the report states.
More than ten thousand people gathered for a rally in Banská Bystrica, 15,000 in Košice, seven thousand in Prešov, over six thousand in Žilina, and hundreds in other cities, some of which became the largest public demonstrations in their history.
"The organizers of the protest today announced a new demand. They are asking Prime Minister Robert Fico to resign in the interest of Slovakia's future. Additionally, they urge him to uphold the law, respect the independence of institutions, and practice transparent governance. They also appeal to the entire government and high-ranking state officials, requesting that they cease any cooperation with Russia, stop attacks on Ukraine, and halt Robert Fico's attempts to alter Slovakia's foreign policy in violation of our commitments to the EU and NATO," the publication reports.
Participants included students, healthcare workers, teachers, clergy, and writers.
On Friday, a car protest titled "Slovakia is not Ukraine" took place on Tyršovo Embankment in Bratislava, opposing the activities of the "Peace for Ukraine" organization. According to the publication, about 40 people participated in this protest.
According to the 2021 census, the population of Bratislava was 476,000, Košice 229,000, Banská Bystrica 75,000, Prešov 83,000, and Žilina 81,000.