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Thousands join anti-government protest in Prague / Photo: STRINGER - AFP
Thousands join anti-government protest in Prague
Thousands took to the streets of Prague on Saturday in protest against the Czech government, high inflation and demanding an end to the country's military support for Ukraine.
The Czech Republic has been battling record inflation levels for a year mainly because of a spike in energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine.
In February, annual inflation in the EU and NATO member state of 10.5 million people reached 16.7 percent.
Saturday's "Czechia against poverty" rally was organised by a new political party.
"We have gathered here today to take a stand against this poverty," Jindrich Rajchl, a lawyer leading the non-parliamentary PRO party, told the crowd in central Wenceslas Square.
The protesters called on the centre-right government of Petr Fiala to resign, while Rajchl said he wanted leaders who "care about the interests of Czech citizens first".
Critics accuse Fiala's government of caring more about Ukraine with substantial military and humanitarian aid sent to the war-torn country since the invasion started in February 2022.
Protesters also slammed NATO, with Czech media reporting a protester with a loudspeaker called on the crowd to tear down a Ukrainian flag from the National Museum building at the top of Wenceslas Square.
N.Fournier--SMC
