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Czechs protest govt.'s aid to Ukraine, US bases in Europe

Sunday, 27 November 2022 7:17 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 27 November 2022 11:35 AM ]

Czech people in Prague protest the government’s aid to Ukraine and trade and energy policies, on November 26, 2022.

Czech people have taken to the streets in the capital Prague to protest the government’s aid to Ukraine and what they consider as shortsighted trade and energy policies.

The protesters, who gathered at Letná, also took aim at the European Union and NATO, and their continuous assistance to Ukraine, criticizing them for housing US bases, Czech Radio reported.

They carried banners that read "US bases in the US" and that there will be no peace with American bases in Europe. "Stop it, you warmongers," some of the banners read.

The crowd also chanted "resignation" and "thieves" as they addressed the Czech government.

The protesters also hit out at the country's economic direction, urging the government to lower utility costs, stop energy export, nationalize underground gas storage facilities, and place a higher priority on selling items made in the country.

In September, thousands of Czechs demonstrated in Prague, calling on the center-right administration to resign so that an early election could be held. They also demanded negotiations with Russia on gas supplies before the winter.

Early in September, a study commissioned by Czech Radio found that 45% of Czechs were "definitely" dissatisfied with the government's efforts to combat rising energy and food prices and that more than half of Czechs did not trust the current administration.

Waves of protests have seen citizens around Europe take to the streets in anger over soaring food, fuel and electricity prices, with research showing that the rise in their scale and spread is “unprecedented”.

The severity and frequency of protests and labor activism are expected to accelerate further over the coming months, as the conditions for civil unrest build in a growing number of countries.

The war in Ukraine has massively increased oil and gas prices as both Russia and the West play hydrocarbon supplies as a bargaining chip to force the other’s hand. The market price of fuels and electricity has adjusted accordingly, triggering double-digit energy inflation.

Sudden spikes in the price of fuel and electricity are at the heart of the protests that have unfolded across Europe.

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