On Saturday, June 10, supporters of both Russia and Ukraine held simultaneous demonstrations in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague’s Bubeneč District. The protest occurred under the watchful eye of the police.
Around two o’clock in the afternoon, approximately three dozen supporters gathered, each brandishing flags and banners in support of their respective countries. The protesters peacefully dispersed around 4 p.m.
The Ukrainian supporters brought along a statue depicting Vladimir Putin seated on a golden toilet bowl, with a stuffed Alexander Lukashenko on his lap and a mannequin representing a corpse in a black bag at his feet. In addition to Ukrainian flags, they waved European Union flags as well. Another flag displayed had the inscription “Belgorod People’s Republic.” Belgorod is a Russian city located along the border with Ukraine to the north, which has recently experienced attacks.
On the other hand, a group of pro-Russian activists carried Czech and Russian flags, along with a flag representing the former Soviet Union adorned with a sickle and hammer symbol. Among themselves, they discussed what they believed to be the improper teaching of history in schools and criticized the Czech-American agreement on defense cooperation. They also prepared a banner stating, “Russia is not our enemy.”
The two groups kept a significant distance between them. Verbal altercations frequently erupted during the event, with the groups exchanging profanities through police roadblocks. The Ukrainian side shouted, “Russians are terrorists,” while the pro-Russian activists retorted with, “Terrorists are Ukrainians.” Phrases such as “Ukraine will win” and “Whoever supports Russia is not a Czech” were also audible. Both groups filmed each other using their cell phones. However, physical confrontations did not occur, and several uniformed and plainclothes police officers were present at the scene.
Later, former journalist Yana Peterkova, who had recently received a suspended sentence for spreading alarming news, joined the pro-Russian activists. She called for the signing of a petition against the Czech-U.S. defense cooperation treaty.
The pro-Ukrainian rally was organized by the Kaputin group, which has been conducting similar public demonstrations since the outset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
