Demonstration Czechia against poverty, called by the party Right Respect Expertise (PRO), March 11, 2023, Wenceslas Square, Prague. The photo shows lawyer Jindřich Rajchl, who leads the PRO party.
Prague – Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) is convinced that the speeches and demands speak for themselves, so he sees no reason to further comment on today's anti-government demonstration in Prague's Wenceslas Square. Government spokesman Václav Smolka told ČTK. The only motive that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Vít Rakušan (STAN) understands in connection with the demonstration is the fear of poverty. But the state will not leave anyone without help, ČTK wrote. He considers the conclusion of the event, when some of the protesters gathered in front of the National Museum, unacceptable.
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Photo gallery: Protests against the government of Petr Fiala
Thousands of people arrived at Wenceslas Square for the anti-government demonstration Czechia Against Poverty, which was called by the Right Respect Professionalism (PRO) party. The organizer and head of PRO Jindřich Rajchl said that if the government does not accept his party's demands or does not resign, another protest will take place at the same place on April 16 and the event will turn into a blockade of government buildings. moved the demonstration in front of the National Museum, where they demanded the removal of the Ukrainian flag. The police asked them to leave, there are heavily armed men on the scene who blocked the entrance to the museum. There was some shoving.
“Mr. Prime Minister is convinced that the speeches and the demands made speak for themselves, and there is no need to comment on them,” said Smolka.
The Austrian told ČTK that the only motive he understands is fear from poverty. “However, in order to face the threat of poverty, our state has enough functional tools in the form of a robust social system. It does not leave anyone without help and it is still far from being used by all who are entitled to it,” he said.
As for the other demands of the organizers, especially the suspension of aid to Ukraine, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, they are “rather a manifestation of the moral misery of the organizers than anything else. I firmly stand by the Czech Republic fulfilling its alliance obligations. And I am glad that it is also the prevailing the opinion of the Czech public,” said the Austrian.
He considers accusations of censorship in a situation where people freely express their opinions in the square and elsewhere to be completely absurd. “What smells more like censorship is when some speakers at a demonstration tell the media how they should or shouldn't behave. Let's leave it to the media themselves, please,” he said.
He considers the violent expressions at the end of the demonstration, when some of the participants demanded to tear down the Ukrainian flag from the building of the National Museum, to be completely unacceptable. “I expect the organizers to distance themselves from these manifestations of violence. It gives the impression that the entire so-called demonstration against poverty was just a cover for pro-Russian provocation, and we definitely cannot be tolerant of such manifestations,” concluded the Austrian.
Page PRO, which was established last year, addressed a letter to the government, calling on it, among other things, to prevent social network operators from restricting freedom of speech or to introduce a legal obligation for the media to provide objective and balanced information. According to PRO's ideas, the cabinet should acquire 100 percent control of ČEZ, in which it now holds roughly 70 percent of the shares, and the state should also abandon the system of trading emission allowances.
PRO also wants the government to clearly strive for peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine, including the possible organization of a peace conference in the Czech Republic. According to her, the Cabinet should also end supplies of military equipment to Ukraine.
