VIDEO: One of the biggest anti-government protests since the revolution. The entire Bratislava square lit up and sang the national anthem

The most massive demonstration

Bratislava and dozens of other Slovak cities experienced the largest mass demonstrations since the start of anti-government protests last December on Friday (24 January). Thousands of people gathered to express their disagreement with the policies of Prime Minister Robert Fico and to support the country's pro-European direction.

According to organisers, some 60,000 people gathered in the capital, four times more than at the protest two weeks ago. The total number of protesters exceeded 100 000, according to media estimates, surpassing the scale of the 2018 demonstrations.

The organisers in Bratislava repeated their previous demand that the government reject any cooperation with Russia and added a new call - for the resignation of Robert Fico in the interest of Slovakia's future. In the crowded square, slogans such as "Enough of Fico", "Collaborator" and "Resign!" were shouted.

Speakers included Czech actor Bolek Polívka, Slovak actor Tomáš Maštalír, activists and students. As a result of a short power cut, the crowd spontaneously started singing the Slovak anthem.

The protest in the capital, which was attended by an estimated 60 000 people, was one of the largest public gatherings since the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

The protest ended with the anthems of both the European Union and the Slovak Republic. The square was then lit up by the lights of mobile phones.

See footage from the Bratislava protest:

Protest actions will continue, with the next rally in Bratislava scheduled for 7 February.