Andrej Kiska met with the representatives of the For a Decent Slovakia initiative. (source: SITA)
The For a Decent Slovakia gathering planned for March 23 in Bratislava has been cancelled.
“President Kiska appointed the new government today,” the organisers informed in a press release, as quoted by the Sme daily. “Thus, we decided that the For a Decent Slovakia gathering will not take place in Bratislava on Friday. Since the very beginning, we have been representing the public voice and we are proud of what it has achieved.”
Decent people respect the constitution, they added, stressing that the next steps are expected to be made by the parliament.
Activities will continue
“We are not leaving; we will closely monitor the systemic changes the new government promised to make,” the organisers continued.
They are founding a civil platform bearing the same name as the series of gatherings, with the aim to support the public engagement and unite people calling for a fair and decent Slovakia.
They stressed they are ready to enter the streets anytime.
“We will develop various forms of civil pressure to make sure the investigation of the murders of Ján and Martina is completed without suspicions of connection between the state institutions and organised crime. We want to see the Interior Ministry acting independently, and not as a party’s subsidiary.”
Meeting with the president
Earlier this week, the representatives of the For a Decent Slovakia initiative met with President Andrej Kiska on March 20. They agreed that Slovakia needs to restore trust in the government.
Kiska thanked the initiative, represented at the meeting by Karolína Farská, Katarína Nagy Pazmány, Tatiana Sedláková and Juraj Šeliga, which has organised three gatherings held across Slovakia and abroad in the past weeks.
“The whole world has looked at us, and the marches in Slovakia that have been the biggest since 1989, the marches that were decent and cultivated, where we really showed Slovakia is a decent country, for which I need to appreciate these young people,” Kiska said, as quoted by the SITA newswire.
The president explained to the representatives of the initiative what steps he will take to start the process of restoring the trust in state, which will not be easy and will take some time. The basic task needs to be fulfilled by the new government, whose composition he rejected on March 20. He is now expecting a new proposal of government members, SITA wrote.
Protests will continue in other towns
Despite the decision to cancel the gathering in Bratislava, other towns will continue in protests. The gatherings were also confirmed abroad.
In addition, students from several Bratislava-based universities will organise a silent march at 16:30 on Friday, meeting in front of Comenius University building on Šafárikovo Square from which they will walk to SNP Square. There they will light candles for Kuciak and Kušnírová, the Denník N daily wrote.
These Slovak towns will hold protests on Friday:
Banská Bystrica, Freedom Square at 17:00
Brezno, General M. R. Štefánik Square at 17:00
Humenné, Freedom Square at 17:30
Kežmarok, Main Square at 17:00
Košice, Dolná Brána at 17:00
Levice, Hrdinov Square at 17:00
Levoča, Northern Park at 17:00
Lučenec, B. S. Timrava Theatre at 17:00
Martin, Divadelné Square at 17:00
Námestovo, Hviezdoslavovo Square at 17:00
Nové Zámky, Main Square at 17:00
Pezinok, Radničné Square at 17:00
Piešťany, Freedom Square at 17:00
Podolie, municipal office at 17:00
Považská Bystrica, Cooltajner at 17:00
Poprad, St Egidius Square at 17:00
Prievidza, Freedom Square at 17:00
Prešov, town hall at 17:00
Púchov, at 17:00
Ružomberok, Š. Hýroša Park at 17:00
Rimavská Sobota, Main Square at 17:00
Spišská Nová Ves, Radničné Square at 17:00
Trenčín, Štúrovo Square at 17:00
Trnava, Trojičné Square at 17:00
Zvolen, Ľ. Štúr Park at 17:00
Žiar nad Hronom, Matica Slovenská Square at 17:00
Žilina, Hlinkovo Square at 17:00
Events abroad:
Aalborg, Gammeltorv at 17:00
Copenhagen, Rådhuspladsen at 18:00
Helsinki, Slovak Embassy at 17:00
London, Marble Arch at 19:00
Luxembourg, Place d'Armes at 17:30
Malaga, Honorary Consulate at 19:00
Munich, Max-Joseph-Platz at 18:30
Palo Alto, Hoover Park at 12:00
Stockholm, Slovak Embassy at 17:00
Sydney, Bradfield Park at 19:00
Vienna, Stephansplatz at 17:00
The Hague, Het Plein at 19:00
Zurich, Stadthausanlage, Bürkliplatz at 17:00
This article was first published on March 20.
