Slovakia: Anti-government demonstration in Bratislava

Thousands of people gathered in Bratislava on Sunday to protest government policies and mark the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution which resulted in the peaceful separation of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.

Demonstrations have already taken place in recent months in Slovakia, with the opposition accusing the government in particular of trying to muzzle the press and attacking artistic freedom.

Waving Slovak and European flags and carrying banners reading “Slovakia does not belong to the government, but to its citizens”, thousands of people gathered in the center of Bratislava.

“I want them to live in a free state”

“The government is trying to suppress the freedoms that the 1989 generations fought for,” Boris Barina, a 19-year-old student, told AFP.

“I have grandchildren and I want them to live in a free, democratic and above all just state,” said another protester, Anna Tothova, 58.

Anger has risen in recent days in the country after the indictment of a police officer for manslaughter following the fatal beating of a homeless man on November 5.

A minute of silence

A minute of silence was observed in memory of the 48-year-old man, whom police beat after stopping him in a supermarket in Kosice, Slovakia’s second city, for allegedly stealing.

Demonstrations have taken place in recent months against the measures taken by the Minister of Culture, Martina Simkovicova, accused by her detractors of censorship and mismanagement of public funds.

“Latest news”

Want to stay on top of the news? “24 Heures” offers you two appointments per day, directly in your email box. So you don’t miss anything that’s happening in your Canton, in Switzerland or around the world.

Other newsletters

Log in

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

0 comments