Students Gather for "Ringing the Alarm" Protests Across Slovakia

Bratislava, 25 March (TASR) - Student protests titled "Ringing the Alarm!" were held in Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Zilina, and Kosice on Wednesday evening, with the demonstrations being initiated by the platforms Student Protest, Students for Open Culture! and the Student Clubhouse in Zilina, TASR reported on the same day. "We want to show our ongoing strength and determination to defend our lives in this country against normalisation and the dragging of Slovakia into Russia's sphere of influence," the organisers explained in a statement. Protesters highlighted several issues including the proposed abolition of postal voting from abroad and they also called for solutions to the housing crisis, green policies, shortage of teachers, and the "brain drain" of young people moving to other countries. "The chaos we're living through - the constantly questioned facts, fabricated scandals, and the search for public enemies - is the perfect breeding ground for fascism. And we're still a year and a half away from the elections," stated the organisers. jrg