Thousands gather in Prague to rally against Czech government

Thousands of people gathered in central Prague on Sunday to protest against the Czech centre-right government, blaming it for paying too much attention to Ukraine and ignoring their economic woes.

Protesters criticised the government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala for rising prices of energy and groceries as inflation in the EU and Nato member of 10.5 million people reached 15 per cent in March.

Chanting “resign” and “shame”, they waved banners calling on the Czech Republic to leave Nato and urging peace in Ukraine.

Fiala’s government has provided Ukraine with substantial military and humanitarian aid since it was invaded by Russia in February last year.

The government “should be replaced with real experts, the current ministers are no good and they are not able to handle the economic situation in this country,” said Prague protester Ludek Sic.

Carrying a Czech flag, Renata Urbanova, who came to Prague’s Wenceslas Square from the southern city of Pisek, added the government was “full of warmongers”.

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“Another thing is that they are making us suffer economically, energy is too expensive and so is food,” she said.

Protesters at the “Czechia Against Poverty” rally called by the small non-parliamentary PRO party also slammed Fiala’s cabinet for soaring public deficits and for poor communication with voters.