(source: Sme)
„The assembly law does not correspond to the 21st century and ties the self-government’s hands,” Nora Gubková, spokesperson for the mayor of the Bratislava’s Old Town district said, as quoted by Sme.
Prime Minister Robert Fico promised a change to the law in June of this year. He even admitted that it could go to parliament in an expedited procedure. The Interior Ministry, however, refused to specify the date of the changes on September 16.
Under the current law a municipality can ban a rally only if it is aimed at the oppression of human rights. It is however enough for extremists to simply write that the purpose of the action is to inform people, according to Gubková.
Municipalities can ban a march also if its purpose is to incite people to commit violence. The protest against the Islamization of Europe which was held in Bratislava in June this year showed that participants committed violence even without being incited to it, mainly after the official program ended.
