PRAGUE: Tens of thousands of people protested in Prague on Saturday against the policies and plans of the new Czech government led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
The protesters from across the Czech Republic attended the peaceful demonstration at Letná park, the scene of huge gatherings in 1989 that greatly contributed to the fall of communism.
They came to express their concerns that Babiš, a billionaire, and his coalition Cabinet, are a threat to democracy, steering the country away from supporting Ukraine and toward an autocratic path.
People in the crowd, who organizers estimated at 200,000, were waving Czech national flags, while one of the banners on display read: “Let’s defend democracy.”
“We’re here to clearly stand against dragging our country onto the path of Slovakia and Hungary,” said Mikuláš Minář, the head organizer from the Million Moments for Democracy group, referring to the pro-Russia and autocratic leanings of those two countries.
