People in the center of Prague protested against government measures and vaccination
Opponents of government anti-epidemic measures met on Wenceslas Square and Palacky Square on Sunday afternoon. Hundreds of people arrived for the demonstrations. The congregation marched in both places after the speeches. Before 16:00, the demonstrators joined together and crossed the Old Town Square and the Mánes Bridge in Klárov. Many of them came without veils, they do not keep the distances between them.
People from Palackého náměstí passed the National Theater in Můstek, where protesters from the second meeting waited for several tens of minutes. They kept moving, chanting “Come with us.” According to the ČTK newsletter, the number of participants increased throughout the afternoon, and according to his estimate, there were already a thousand of them going to the Old Town Square. The police did not disclose the numbers.
Both assemblies have been peaceful so far, Eva Kropáčová, a spokeswoman for the Prague police, told ČTK. According to her, politics did not have to intervene against the protesters. “Police only warned participants to abide by government regulations,” the spokeswoman said. For example, they dealt with unveiled drapes with them. Demonstrations are currently open to a maximum of 100 people, with 20 participants. They must keep the spacing between the groups at least two meters and each must have a covered mouth and nose. Due to the number of participants, the police do not intervene.
Both demonstrations were convened by the organizers via social networks. Over 400 people announced that they would arrive at Palackého náměstí, about three hundred stated that they would come to Wenceslas Square. At the demonstration, people brought Czech and Slovak flags and banners with inscriptions such as “If mine, then you first” referring to a possible vaccination against covid-19. Some protesters arrived in knight’s armor on horseback and represent the Knight of Blanice. Dozens of police officers are supervising both events.
“The introduction of totalitarianism continues and we enjoy it. Let’s live without the government and its measures. Let’s live and breathe freely, as we lived last Christmas,” said a demonstrator on Wenceslas Square called the Demonstration for Freedom and Truth condemning terror and manipulation. David Tesar in a Facebook invitation to today’s protest. At the same time, the conveners of the march in the public government asked to provide support to the closed operations and also to abandon nationwide measures.
Opponents of government measures against the spread of coronavirus also met on October 28 at the Republic Square in Prague for the same name. Police arrested the area a day ago after the arrival of the first hundred protesters.
The organizers called the assembly on Palackého náměstí a St. Nicholas demonstration against the government decree with a procession. Participants were invited to arrive in the masks of Nicholas, angels and devils.
The demonstration against the government measures took place in Prague on October 28, and was mostly peaceful. The protest ended ten days earlier when police detained 144 people. Some of the protesters clashed with the police after the official end of the event on Prague’s Old Town Square. They threw bottles, stones, trash cans and firecrackers at the police. The police used tear gas, a water cannon and emergency explosives, pushing them out with horses and vehicles.
Video: At the last demonstration, police scattered protesters and opponents
Police in Old Town Square have scattered protesters and opponents Video: CTK