Tens of thousands of Czechs packed Prague’s iconic Wenceslas Square this past weekend to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s government, criticizing its stance on Ukraine and expressing opposition to NATO, the EU, cultural and political globalism, and Washington’s meddling in European affairs.
The third of its kind to take place in the capital this year, the rally, which Czech and other mainstream press outlets called ‘pro-Russian’ and claimed only saw 10,000 people gather, was organized by the extra-parliamentary, anti-globalist party PRO (Law, Respect, Expertise), led by Jindřich Rajchl, a lawyer, activist, and politician.
Rajchl and other party organizers, meanwhile, said there were some 100,000 to 150,000 present at the two-hour-long demonstration on Saturday, September 17th, sharply criticizing the mainstream press for what they said was a gross underestimate of the turnout. Rajchl, during his address, called on demonstrators to turn away from establishment media and tune into “alternative outlets.”
Among the throngs of protesters that squeezed into the square, seas of Czech flags as well as placards and banners filled the air above the crowd. Some banners with the inscriptions “Down with the USA’s henchmen,” “Down with NATO,” and “No bases,” could be read, while other protesters held signs railing against runaway inflation, the government’s response to the Russo-Ukrainian war, and what they regard as its subserviency to U.S. interests.
Speakers rejected the accusation that the party and attendees were partial to the government in Moscow.
“We don’t want an EU government, we don’t want an American government or a Ukrainian government, we don’t want a Russian or Chinese government, we want a government of the Czech Republic, of Czech citizens,” Rajchl declared emphatically, calling on the government to prioritize the welfare of Czechs over the interests of foreign powers.
“We made another step today to move out of the way the rock that is the government of Mr. [Prime Minister] Fiala,” Raichl told the crowd, slamming Fiala’s five-party coalition government as “agents of foreign powers, people who carry out orders, and ordinary puppets.”
“And I do not want a puppet government anymore,” Raichl continued, adding that the Czech Republic ought to veto any attempt by Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance. He also warned that the Czech Republic’s social and healthcare systems were threatened by the massive influx of Ukrainian refugees.
The Czech Republic has received the highest number of Ukrainian refugees, relative to population, of any EU country, according to Eurostat. The country of 10.5 million has given temporary protection status to 350,000 Ukrainians.
Other speakers railed against the EU’s Green Deal, which they said would deal a death blow to the Czech economy, and rebuked left-liberal gender ideology.
