A protest by Roma in Bratislava on Wednesday, March 6, for more jobs ended in front of the Government Office with dozens of demonstrators symbolically presenting an empty cooking pot to Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The protest was led by organiser and Party of Roma Union (SRÚ) leader Františkek Tanko, who said its aim was “to show how difficult life is for citizens of Slovakia”, the SITA newswire reported. “This is a gift from Roma from all over Slovakia; citizens of this country are dying of hunger,” he concluded. The demonstration was peaceful, with police officers overseeing the gathering of about 80 people, most of them from eastern Slovakia.
Before marching to the Government Office, they had protested with placards in front of the Labour Ministry, asking for a dignified life and jobs, and stressing they were not asking to get anything for free. Tanko also asked Labour Minister Ján Richter for a personal audience, in order to hear what measures the ministry had prepared to boost employment.
The government proxy for Roma issues, Peter Pollák, said that Tanko probably cared more for the demonstration itself than for any potential assistance measures, SITA reported. Tanko denied this and called Pollák’s statement a personal attack.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
