- Title: Thousands protest against corruption in the streets of Bratislava
- Date: 18th April 2017
- Summary: BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA (APRIL 18, 2017) (REUTERS) HEAD OF DEMO IN DOWNTOWN BRATISLAVA HEAD OF DEMO WITH BANNER READING (Slovak): "THE CRIME DID HAPPEN" PROTESTER SHOUTING (Slovak): "DOWN WITH (Slovak Prime Minister) FICO" VARIOUS OF MARCH IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Slovak) BRATISLAVA PENSIONER, JAN, SAYING: "They all know it, the whole of Slovakia and the Czech Republic too: they are stealing, stealing and stealing, they are pigs." PROTESTERS DRESSED AS GORILLAS LEADING DEMO (REFERRING TO A CORRUPTION SCANDAL NAMED GORILLA, A SUSPECTED SLOVAK SECRET SERVICE WIRETAP FILE) DEMO IN PROGRESS DEMO REACHING SNP SQUARE PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING (Slovak): "CORRUPTION DESTROYS FREEDOM" PEOPLE AT SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Slovak) STUDENT AND DEMONSTRATION ORGANISER, KAROLINA FARSKA, SAYING: "We decided we don't want to discuss our opinions by ourselves only, but also share them with other people. It doesn't matter if 200, 2,000 or 200,000 people are coming. Our opinion is important to us and we are glad and that it important for many other people, too." PEOPLE AT SNP SQUARE
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2017 17:52
- Keywords: protest corruption Gorilla students
- Location: BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
- City: BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
- Country: Slovakia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016CXECL5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands rallied in the Slovak capital on Tuesday (April 18) demanding the resignation of the interior minister, police chief and a prosecutor for unfinished investigations into corruption scandals that have undermined public trust in recent years.
The protest, drawing an estimated 4,000, was one of the biggest protests popular leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico has faced in his two consecutive terms in office.
Despite joining the European Union thirteen years ago, many Slovaks still feel their country lacks political ethics that are standard in western Europe, part of an increasing stream of voter discontent and protest seen in eastern European capitals from Bucharest to Budapest.
The protest in Bratislava on Tuesday, organised by high school students, was largely directed at Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, who has refused to resign despite questions into his business relations with a developer being investigated by police for tax fraud.
Protesters were backed by independent President Andrej Kiska, a rival to Fico who has tried to be a counterweight to the government's anti-immigration rhetoric and to also fight the rise of extremist parties caused by voter anger.
Fico's party won re-election last March but lost its parliamentary majority. The rising anger with traditional parties led to the far-right People's Party-Our Slovakia group winning its first parliamentary seats.
Fico's government has stepped up anti-corruption efforts in recent months, introducing a 35 percent tax on dividends from companies based in tax havens and banning companies with unclear ownership from doing business with the state. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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