Students Stage Protests in Bratislava and Zilina Against Government

Bratislava, 22 January (TASR) – Protests organised by student platforms are taking place in Bratislava and Zilina on Thursday evening. The organisers say they want to express dissatisfaction with the steps taken by the current government and to point to the incompatibility of Slovakia's current political direction with their vision of the future. "Across Slovakia, student platforms and movements are joining forces to express deep concern over the actions of the current government. Their aim is to mobilise students in every corner of Slovakia and to create a unified network willing to organise demonstrations and other forms of protest," the organisers said. The goal is to form a student movement with clear demands addressed to the Slovak government. The initiative has been taken over by the platforms Students for Open Culture, the Student Clubroom in Zilina, and the new movement Student Protest. The first protests are being held on Thursday in Bratislava at Hviezdoslav Square and in Zilina in front of the New Synagogue. Students say they see it as their responsibility to stand up for the protection of democracy, environmental responsibility, human rights, anchoring in the EU and NATO, and "a fact-based discourse at a time when these values are directly threatened, particularly by the governing coalition". mf