Thousands rally against pro-Western leaders in EU countries — RT World News
Protesters in Czechia demanded the resignation of their government, decrying its support for kyiv and anti-Russian sanctions
Tens of thousands of protesters again blocked Prague’s central square to decry runaway inflation amid Czech government support for anti-Russian sanctions and aid packages for Ukraine.
Taking advantage of a national holiday to gather on Friday, the demonstrators demanded the resignation of their pro-Western government. The latest demonstration follows two similar protests last month, including one that reportedly drew around 70,000 people.
Friday’s crowd in Wenceslas Square demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Petr Fiala and an end to Czech participation in sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis, which have contributed to soaring energy and food prices food. Protesters chanted « resign, resign » while waving Czech national flags.
🚨🚨🚨Major rally against anti-Russian sanctions takes place in PragueProtesters demand the resignation of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala⚡⚡⚡ pic.twitter.com/OcbaQhCvU4
— 🇷🇺Ghost of Kherson🇷🇺 (@ILRUSSO1) October 28, 2022
« Russia is not our enemy, the warmonger government is our enemy » the Associated Press quoted a speaker at the rally as saying. A group called Czech Republic First, which has organized the protests, opposes NATO and has called on the country to be militarily neutral.
« This is a new national revival, and its goal is for the Czech Republic to be independent, » Reuters quoted organizer Ladislav Vrabel. « When I see a full square, no one can stop it. »
Fiala’s government ignored the protesters, calling them « pro-Russian » and accusing their organizers of listening to Russian disinformation campaigns. Czechia joined NATO in March 1999, just days before the US-led bloc attacked Yugoslavia, and became a member of the EU in 2004.
« We know who our friends are and who is bleeding for our freedom », Minister of the Interior Lives Rakusan said in a Twitter post on Friday. « And we also know who our enemies are, and we won’t let them steal our patriotism. »
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Price rise in EU records
Czechia has been particularly hard hit by the European energy crisis, at least in part because of its historical dependence on Russian natural gas. Households in the country are said to pay the second highest electricity prices in the EU, just behind Estonia. Czechia’s inflation rate soared to 18% in September.
rt
