LIVE: Fico and extremists organize protests in Slovakia, blocked roads, special police units intervene – REFRESHER

We have stopped watching the live protests.

19:54 – After 19.00, heavy police officers gradually pushed out a protesting crowd of people, who blocked roads around Hodžovo náměstí in Bratislava for almost three hours. A police water cannon was also prepared on the spot. However, they did not have to use it. Shortly before 7.30 pm, traffic around the Presidential Palace was resumed. Police detained three people during the evening intervention.

19:00 – Shortly before 7 pm, the police heavy beginners gradually pushed out the protesting crowd of people, who had been blocking the roads around Hodžovo náměstí in Bratislava for almost three hours. There is also a police water cannon on site.

Police intervened several times before the intervention to stop blocking the road and to refrain from illegal actions. Protesters refuse to leave the road.

18:50 – In addition to Hodž Square in Bratislava, some demonstrators began to block Šancova Street, which is one of the main arteries in the city, and around the main railway station. However, it only took a few minutes, and the police managed to connect the intersection.

18:41 – Smer claims that 12,000 people came to support them at the demonstration.

18:28 – At Wednesday’s protests in Bratislava, the police have detained four people from the crowd of protesters so far. The reason was their unlawful conduct.

18:11 – The traffic of public transport lines in Bratislava in the area of ​​Hodžovo náměstí is interrupted due to the blocking of roads by the participants of the protest assembly. All lines run by diversion.

17:45 – Pthe police had to use tear gas against some of the protesters blocking the roads on Hodžovo náměstí in Bratislava. Some demonstrators are aggressive and swearing at police officers. There were also clashes between demonstrators and the police. In one of them, the police had to step in self-defense and use diapers or tear gas.

17:20 – The anti-conflict police team managed to agree with the demonstrators not to block the Old Town Street in Bratislava and move back towards Hodžovo námestie.

Demonstrators are gradually being pushed out of Staromestská Street by hard-nosed people. They have not had to intervene yet. The anti-conflict team and members of the intervention unit of the Bratislava City Police are trying to prevent the escalation of tension.

16:50 – Protesters, who blocked the roads around Hodžovo náměstí in Bratislava, are moving further along the city center towards the SNP Bridge and are starting to block other roads as well. They have already blocked the underpass under Hodžový náměstí, Staromestská Street and are heading further. Police have not yet intervened and are unable to bring the crowd under control.

On Staromestská Street near the city walls, near the Cathedral of St. Martin, the protesters were stopped by the intervention team of the Bratislava city police. The city police later joined the state police with their police hardboats. The protesting crowd is trying to get out of the way and prevent them from continuing to block other roads.

16:40 – After Fico, the vice-presidents of the Direction – Ladislav Kamenický, Erik Kaliňák and Ľuboš Blaha – are on the podium in Košice.

16:37 – There are also dozens of activists from the Open Košice platform at the protests in Košice, who came to express dissenting opinions with Fico and the extremists. They stand further from the stage with banners, when the followers of Smer pass by them, there are verbal skirmishes.

16:30 – The police have not yet intervened significantly. Protesters chant the slogan “block”.

16:24 – A group of protesters blocked the road at Hodžovo náměstí in Bratislava. The police officers present have not yet been able to prevent this. Dozens of other people are heading for communication. Traffic in the area is limited.

Most of the demonstrators, who moved from Hodž Square in Bratislava in front of the building of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, returned to the city center, where the protest in front of the Presidential Palace continues, and another public assembly began on Náměstí slobody. Only a few dozen people are protesting in front of parliament.

16:22 – The President of the Direction also criticized President Zuzana Čaputová for postponing his referendum on early elections to the Constitutional Court, which ruled that it could not be held. Fico is blaming the head of state.

16:21 – Robert Fico calls for a voluntary vaccination protest. He says that if he is in government, he will work to hold those who are responsible for the 13,000 victims of the coronavirus responsible. Former President Ivan Gašparovič stands by his side.

16:10 – Slovaks also report unpleasant experiences from protests, even if they did not directly participate in them. Instagram user published photos from the destroyed car, which she said was demolished by the protesters. They allegedly cursed her, kicked her in the car door and ripped out her wipers.

15:55 – Speaker Milan Uhrík – Chairman of the Republic Party. He criticizes the possibility of vaccinating children voluntarily in Slovakia and repeats his slogans regarding vaccination. He also criticizes President Zuzana Čaputová and the decisions of the Constitutional Court. The crowd shouts “shame”, no one has a veil on.

15:49 – A protest has already started in Košice, organized by detainees from the extremist LSN. However, a woman on the podium, who claims to have invited Smer members to organize the protest, refused. When she mentioned the Voice party, the crowd started roaring and shouting “yuck”.

15:46 – For a demonstration in front of the parliament and in the vicinity of Hodžovo náměstí in Bratislava, the traffic of public transport trolleybus lines 207 and 203 is currently limited on Mudroňová Street.

15:29 – Robert Fico indicates that his protest will be noisy. He added a post on Facebook informing about his presence in Košice. “You will find us easily, he will hear us,” he wrote.

15:21 – There are currently several hundred demonstrators in front of parliament. They are shouting slogans against the government and representatives of parliament. They call on the police present to join the protest and put their helmets and weapons down. They also demand access to parliament.

15:13 – So far, the protests are much more tumultuous in Bratislava, the protesters have already contributed to the blocked traffic.

The Bratislava transport company currently informs that it had to interrupt the operation of public transport lines 83, 93, 147, 203, 207 and 212 in the vicinity of the Hodžovo námestie stop. As the crowd headed for parliament, a couple of protesters were incident with passers-by.

15:02 – The crowd of hundreds of people, who have so far protested in Hodž Square in front of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, moved and headed across the Palisades towards the National Council of the Slovak Republic.

Traffic through the Palisades is currently blocked as protesters move along the road.

15:00 – The crowd in front of the presidential palace reports to the ĽSNS. They demonstrate against the government and claim that the “genocide of the Slovak nation” is taking place in Slovakia.

14:45 – In Bratislava, there are protests in Hodž Square and in front of the National Council.

In front of the parliament, the police had to intervene against a few demonstrators in order to maintain a 50-meter safety distance from the building. The intervention was accompanied by skirmishes. Police also detained two protesters.

An anti-conflict team also intervened in front of the parliament. Heavy police officers were also prepared. After the arrest of one of the protesters, a group of protesters began to move slowly to Hodž Square, where hundreds of people are currently protesting.

14:35 – The Košice City Hall confirmed that it drew the attention of the organizers of the assembly on Hlavná Street to the Act on the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic, which speaks of a ban on assemblies within 100 meters of the buildings of the Constitutional Court and the places where it hears.

Robert Fico criticized journalists on Tuesday, who warned him about the 100-meter border. He claims that he knows the law and the demonstration will take place within the limits of the law.

According to the vice-mayor of Košice, Marcel Gibód, Košice has always been a tolerant city and no one is preventing people from expressing their opinion in it. However, he recalls that Wednesday’s holiday is closely linked not only to the freedom that protesters demand, but also to the rule of law. “In recent days, some opposition politicians have talked about organizing protests right in front of the Constitutional Court building, which is not allowed by law. We believe that the police will ensure that this law is complied with and that there is no disruption of order or riots, “ stated.

14:30 – Košice Regional Police Spokeswoman Jana Mésarová: “In connection with the protest rallies on Wednesday, the Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic in the center of Košice, the police will ensure adequate security measures and continuously monitor and evaluate the security situation.”

14:15 – In the afternoon, the square in front of the President’s palace began to fill, where protesters protested in the first half of August.