Anti-government Protest Takes Place in Bratislava, One Person Detained

Bratislava, May 1 (TASR) – A protest against the Government and its pandemic policies took place in front of the Government Office and Presidential Palace in Bratislava on Saturday despite the state of emergency and various restrictions to public gatherings.

The police told TASR that they detained one person, but there were overall no serious incidents at the event featuring a few hundred persons.

The event was opened in front of the Government Office by former MP Peter Marcek, who told the crowd that due to the ban on public gatherings, the protest should resemble a May Day march.

“We’ll go to the Presidential Palace, we’ll utter there a few words with my colleague Robert Svec, we’ll return to the Namestie Slobody square and then we’ll disperse,” announced Marcek.

He presented a request of the police for those present not to create larger groups and to wear face masks. The protesters responded with booing and shouting: “No way!”

Several speakers appeared at the protest to criticise the state of emergency, now in place for the eighth consecutive month, the Government and its coronavirus policies.