Thousands Protest in Prague to Demand Govt’s Resignation

Thousands of people demonstrated in the Czech capital, Prague, on Saturday against the center-right Czech government, which they accused of paying more attention to Ukraine than its citizens.

The Pro party, which organized the protest, reported that the number of participants reached more than one hundred thousand people, according to what was stated on its website, while the Czech News Agency estimated the number at about ten thousand.

The demonstrators waved Czech flags and called on the government of right-wing Prime Minister Peter Fiala to resign, also denouncing the economic slowdown in the European Union member state, as the country's economy has been in recession for a year, while inflation recorded a slow decline from the record level that peaked at 18% in September 2022.

Demonstrator Hanna Smolíkova told Agence France-Presse in Wenceslas Square in central Prague: “I am here for the children, because this is about our future, and I am afraid of the future,” expressing her concern about the rising prices of “everything”.

Protester Pavel Hosyk said the government "should stop supporting only Ukraine and start caring about its citizens."

Fiala's five-party coalition government has provided Ukraine with significant humanitarian and military aid since the start of the Russian military operation in February 2022.

Prague police announced that they arrested a man wearing the logo of the Russian private military group "Wagner" during the demonstration.