(17 Nov 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bratislava, Slovakia – 17 November 2024
1. Various of rally, people chanting UPSOUND (Slovak): "Enough of Fico" and protesters singing
2. Ivan Korcok, former minister of foreign affairs and Michal Simecka, leader of main opposition party Progressive Slovakia
3. SOUNDBITE (Slovak) Michal Simecka, leader of Progressive Slovakia party:
"It is a moment when our fathers, our parents, and many of those who are here today fought for freedom and democracy. It is a gift that we must protect today and that we should pass on to our children. To preserve freedom and democracy, we must also remember them. That is why I am very pleased that people have come tonight to remind themselves of these values."
4. Simecka giving speech on stage
5. Protesters applauding
6. Close of protester
7. Protester wrapped in Slovak flag
8. Wide of rally
9. Protesters listening to speech
10. Close of Slovak and European Union flag
11. Various of protesters including protester with LGBTQ+ flag and protester with sign reading (Slovak): "Truth and love will win"
12. SOUNDBITE (Slovak) David Lipa, protester:
"And that is why I have come tonight, to support what our parents and grandparents stood for. And to not let people forget about that."
13. Various of protesters signing Slovak national anthem
14. Protester shaking keys (symbol of Velvet Revolution in Czech Republic and Slovakia)
STORYLINE:
Thousands of protesters gathered in Slovakia’s capital on Sunday, the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that brought an end to decades of communist rule in Czechoslovakia, to oppose the policies of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The protest united the opposition, including the liberal Progressive Slovakia, pro-business Freedom and Solidarity and the conservative Christian Democrats who all said Fico’s a threat to democracy.
“The government takes our freedom and democracy,” a banner in the crowd read.
Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.
Fico and his leftist Smer (Direction) party won last year’s won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform.
His government has pushed through a plan to overhaul public broadcasting — a move critics said would give the government full control of public television and radio.
That, along with a move to amend a penal code and eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, has led opponents to worry that he would lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path, following the direction of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
His views on Russia’s war on Ukraine and other issues sharply differ from the European mainstream.
Fico ended his country’s military aid for Ukraine, opposes EU sanctions on Russia, wants to block Ukraine from joining NATO and plans a trip to Russia.
AP Video shot by Stanislav Hodina
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