from Deutsche Welle
Around 70,000 people gathered in central Prague to protest against the Czech government’s foreign and economic policies. Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the protesters did not have the country’s best interests at heart.
The organizers of the demonstration said the Czech Republic should be militarily neutral and ensure direct contracts with gas suppliers, including Russia.
The protesters condemned the government for supporting sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine and accused it of being unable to cope with soaring energy prices.
They said the government pays more attention to war-torn Ukraine than to its own citizens. “The best for the Ukrainians and two sweaters for us,” read a banner, a reference to concerns about heating costs in winter.
The Czech Republic, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, has taken in around 400,000 refugees from Ukraine and has provided significant military and humanitarian aid to the war-torn country.
These protests are certain to spread around the EU and become more vociferous the higher energy prices become this winter because of Biden’s war against Russia.