Thousands of Slovakian citizens took to the streets of the country last night to protest against the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico, with the biggest demonstration taking place in Bratislava, BTA reported.
DPA reports that according to the opposition media, between 17 and 18 thousand people participated in the rally in the capital.
The protests, organized by two liberal and one conservative opposition parties, took place on the occasion of 35 years since the Velvet Revolution against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
The Velvet Revolution began with the violent dispersal of a peaceful student protest on November 17, 1989, sparking mass demonstrations that led to regime change. The date is marked as the Day of the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy, both in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic.
The opposition accuses Fico's government, made up of two social democratic and one right-wing populist parties, of showing authoritarian tendencies.
The demonstrators warned that democratic freedoms in Slovakia were at risk and called for action to protect freedom and democracy.
In Bratislava, the protesters displayed a banner with the inscription “The government takes away our freedom and democracy, and offers us revenge and hatred in return”.
During the rally, the leader of the largest liberal opposition party “Progressive Slovakia” Michal Šimečka criticized Fico's management. “Freedom and democracy are no guarantee of good governance. Otherwise, Robert Fizo would not have ruled us for 14 years”, said the oppositionist.
Fizo, who won last year's parliamentary elections, is serving his fourth term as prime minister after several years in opposition.