The October protest in Bratislava (source: SITA)
Several protests are scheduled to take place in the capital on November 17, when Slovakia is celebrating a national holiday, the Day of the Fight for Freedom and Democracy.
On this day, the country commemorates the student demonstration against Nazi occupation in 1939, and especially the demonstration in 1989 in Bratislava and Prague, which marked the beginning of the Velvet Revolution, bringing an end to the communist regime.
The police are ready to intervene against the protesters, Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (OĽaNO) announced during the weekend. The country imposed a ban on public assemblies with more than six participants on October 13 and the national emergency is in place as well.
Protests against measures
One of the protests against coronavirus measures is scheduled for 15:00 and should start at the main railway station, while the other starts at 16:00 in front of the Presidential Palace. Both will be attended by the MPs for the far-right Kotlebovci – People’s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS), the SITA newswire reported. Football hooligans are expected to take part, the Sme daily wrote.
The party, along with football hooligans, had organised protests against the restrictions last month despite the ban on public assembly, and it turned violent.
