ABOUT 3,000 police officers took part in aprotest on December 3 in Bratislava, the daily SME reported. The rally was supported by the members as well as the boss of Eurocop, the European Confederation of Police, Hans Kiefer.
The reason for this second protest was the low level of police officers wages policemen's wages but it was also against Interior Minister Vladimír Palko decision to recall Miroslav Litva, the boss of the police union in Slovakia from his after the first protest on October 25.
Kiefer said the action of the minister was similar to one in a totalitarian regime. However, unlike the first time, the protesters did not hold up any provocative placards and the police union asked people not to shout out slogans against the cabinet.
Minister Palko thinks that the protest was an attempt to weaken his position ahead of parliamentary elections.
It was only the second police demonstration in Slovakia. On October 25 Slovak police officers protested publicly against what they perceived as inadequate wages and insufficient funding. "If police officers aren't paid by the state, the mafia will gladly step in," read one of the placards held by protesters.
Minister Palko said the protest was without foundation and demoted police union boss Litva one day after the rally.
Compiled by Marta Ďurianová from press reports
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Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
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