Hundreds of people attending the Gorilla IV Protest held in Bratislava on February 24 marched the streets to protest against the allegations in the so-called Gorilla file, the document allegedly made by the Slovak Information Service (SIS) intelligence agency, dealing with high-level political corruption in 2005-6 but the number participating was fewer than in previous protests, the Sme daily reported.
The organisers of the protest said that there were about 2,000 people but the daily wrote that only about 1,000 people came to the Hviezdoslavovo Square. Some of the speakers who had participated in the previous protests, including journalist Tom Nicholson and writer Michal Hvorecký, attended.
“There are lots of other people who have something to say,” said one of the organisers, Miroslav Hrivík, adding that the protests are not only about the Gorilla file but also about the political culture in Slovakia.
Though the official demonstration ended at approximately 18:30, the participants marched to the headquarters of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) and Smer political parties. The protesters were accompanied by a number of police patrols that controlled the traffic and a vehicle from which organisers called on passers-by to join them. Dozens of protesters also assembled in front of Government Office under the watchful eye of the police, the TASR newswire reported.
Source: Sme, TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
