- Title: Leaders of far-right European parties join rally in Prague
- Date: 25th April 2019
- Summary: ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** LE PEN, WILDERS AND SPD LEADER TOMIO OKAMURA APPLAUDING RALLY ATTENDEES APPLAUDING VARIOUS OF LE PEN SPEAKING ON STAGE SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING WILDERS SPEAKING ON STAGE SIGN READING (Czech): "FOR A FREE EUROPE WITHOUT MIGRATION AND EU DICTAT." VIDEO MESSAGE FROM LEADER OF ITALIAN LA LEGA PARTY MATTEO SALVINI PLAYING ON SCREEN LEADERS WAVING TO CROWD FROM STAGE, HOLDING CZECH FLAGS CAMERA OPERATORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS / LEADERS INCLUDING LE PEN, WILDERS, AND OKAMURA LEAVING STAGE WILDERS ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AND SHAKING HANDS WITH OKAMURA AND GREETING LE PEN CAMERA OPERATORS FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (French) LEADER OF NATIONAL RALLY PARTY, MARINE LE PEN, SAYING: "Immigration should be stopped and Islamic ideology should be eradicated. Globalisation should be regulated, economy and oligarchies returned to their proper place." (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEADER OF PARTY OF FREEDOM, GEERT WILDERS, SAYING: "I would rather that the Netherlands, and this is a national decision, would leave the European Union - a 'Nexit' as we call it. But to be honest, there is, after the Brexit, unfortunately not a majority under the Dutch public, the Dutch electorate, let alone in the Dutch Parliament, to support such a decision." (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) LEADER OF SPD PARTY, TOMIO OKAMURA, SAYING: "The common position in our political group is that we want to return freedom and sovereignty to the European states. We want to finish with the directives of Brussels and return authority (to individual countries)." WILDERS, LE PEN AND OKAMURA POSING TOGETHER FOR SELFIE
- Embargoed: 9th May 2019 19:11
- Keywords: far-right parties European Union Marine Le Pen Geert Wilders National Rally Party for Freedom meeting in Prague
- Location: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- City: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Country: Czech Republic
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA004ABYLHZB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The leaders of far-right Dutch and French parties gathered at a Prague rally on Thursday (April 25) as their Czech allies launched their campaign for next month's European elections.
Marine Le Pen of France's National Rally party and Geert Wilders of the Dutch Party of Freedom spoke on stage alongside Tomio Okamura, the chairman of the Czech Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party.
Supporters attending the rally held up signs objecting to migration and the "EU dictat", while counter protesters chanted on the sidelines before Le Pen, Wilders and Okamura went on stage.
The Czech police said in a post on Twitter that 10 people were arrested for trying to disturb the event and ignoring police instructions to stop, but that no one had been injured.
National Rally and SPD are among the members of the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom (MENF) grouping in the European Parliament.
MENF also counts among its members Italy's La Lega and the Austrian Freedom Party, both of which are currently in coalition governments in their countries.
At a news conference before the rally, Le Pen called for a stop to immigration and the eradication of "Islamic ideology". Wilders and Okamura both said they wanted to see their countries leave the European Union.
Elections for the European Parliament will be held in late May. Polls have shown that centre-right parties are likely to remain the largest group in the parliament, but that far-right parties could also see a large increase in seats.
(Production: Jiri Skacel, Lewis Macdonald, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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