PRAGUE - Many thousands of people have merged together in protest against the Czech government, calling on their leaders to do more in regard to surging energy prices, as well as stating their opinions on NATO and the European Union.
Organizers from multiple political parties, swinging from the right to the left, joined together in one demonstration of unity, stating their central European country should be militarily neutral and ensure direct contracts with Russia and other gas suppliers, bypassing the intermediary services of the European Union.
Europe is no stranger to the idea of protests, as well as Prague which has been the center of many protests in the past such as the anti-G8 protests in 2005 by the G8 Alternatives, which was a coalition of activist groups protesting the 31st G8 summit as illustrated in the picture.
The police in Prague have estimated the protestors to be in number around 70,000 people by mid-afternoon.
The protests were held in Wenceslas Square in Prague's city center, a day after the government held a vote of no-confidence in regard to opposition claims of inaction against surging energy prices and historic inflation.
The vote illustrated how the energy crisis in the European Union is drastically fueling the instability of politics as surging energy prices are building inflation, which is already at its highest seen level in 30 years.
The protestors at the demonstration are demanding the exit of the Czech Republic's current and standing government, the freeing of Czech Republic industry, from foreign entities, as well as the Czech Republic securing its own state-to-state contracts with Russia and other resource suppliers.
Several high officials of the Czech Republic were in attendance at the protest, and some even gave keynote speeches. The list includes the following:
Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that the protestors did not have the best interests of the Czech Republic and that the protests were organized by pro-Russian extremists.
The event, titled Czech Republic in 1st Place, was not the only event to grace the streets of Prague on September 4th. Starting at the same time as the protests, at 2 p.m. local time, was a Harley Davidson motorcycle rally called the Prague Harley Days sleepy ride, with 800 motorcycles, that passed right through the city center, beside the protestors, after which a cross-country marathon race also entered the center around 6 p.m. local time.
In a Twitter post by the Prague police department, it stated that "several hundred police officers will be supervising the peaceful course of events."
Organizers from multiple political parties, swinging from the right to the left, joined together in one demonstration of unity, stating their central European country should be militarily neutral and ensure direct contracts with Russia and other gas suppliers, bypassing the intermediary services of the European Union.
Europe is no stranger to the idea of protests, as well as Prague which has been the center of many protests in the past such as the anti-G8 protests in 2005 by the G8 Alternatives, which was a coalition of activist groups protesting the 31st G8 summit as illustrated in the picture.
The police in Prague have estimated the protestors to be in number around 70,000 people by mid-afternoon.
The protests were held in Wenceslas Square in Prague's city center, a day after the government held a vote of no-confidence in regard to opposition claims of inaction against surging energy prices and historic inflation.
The vote illustrated how the energy crisis in the European Union is drastically fueling the instability of politics as surging energy prices are building inflation, which is already at its highest seen level in 30 years.
The protestors at the demonstration are demanding the exit of the Czech Republic's current and standing government, the freeing of Czech Republic industry, from foreign entities, as well as the Czech Republic securing its own state-to-state contracts with Russia and other resource suppliers.
Several high officials of the Czech Republic were in attendance at the protest, and some even gave keynote speeches. The list includes the following:
- Zdeněk Jandejsek, former president of the Agrarian Chamber
- Vladimír Štěpán, energy expert
- Zuzana Majerová, president of the Trikolora movement
- Josef Skála, presidential candidate
- Jana Zwyrtek Hamplová, a lawyer in the Czech Republic
Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that the protestors did not have the best interests of the Czech Republic and that the protests were organized by pro-Russian extremists.
The event, titled Czech Republic in 1st Place, was not the only event to grace the streets of Prague on September 4th. Starting at the same time as the protests, at 2 p.m. local time, was a Harley Davidson motorcycle rally called the Prague Harley Days sleepy ride, with 800 motorcycles, that passed right through the city center, beside the protestors, after which a cross-country marathon race also entered the center around 6 p.m. local time.
In a Twitter post by the Prague police department, it stated that "several hundred police officers will be supervising the peaceful course of events."
Sources
Reuters | iDNES.cz | Bloomberg
Photo Accreditation
Prague Protest 2005 | Author: Svobodat | CC BY-SA 4.0 | via Wikimedia Commons
Importance Level
LOW
Reuters | iDNES.cz | Bloomberg
Photo Accreditation
Prague Protest 2005 | Author: Svobodat | CC BY-SA 4.0 | via Wikimedia Commons
Importance Level
LOW
Last edited by a moderator: