This Sunday, almost four hundred people protested in Prague against the strict measures adopted by the government. They were opposing the rule which requires everybody to wear a mask indoors in all public spaces. Protesters compared these mandatory measures with totalitarian regimes and demanded to have a choice. This protest was organized by the Civil Dissatisfaction Movement (Hnutí občanské nespokojenosti) right in front of the Ministry of Health building at Palackého Square.
The mask’s requirement was introduced by the PM Andrej Babiš and the ex-Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch at the beginning of September. It is also supported by the new Minister of Health Roman Prymula. Earlier, he was also agitating for the announcement of a state of emergency.
One of the main slogans of the protest was “Prymula is the Minister of fear”. According to protesters, he can’t be the Minister of Health since he has a trade license for medical equipment and medical studies, which might provoke a conflict of interest. As for Babiš, protesters mentioned that he was connected with Communist State Security, even though he stated that his name is misused in the documents. Demonstrators demanded changes with slogans like “we don’t want vaccines, we want freedom” and “we stand for the collective immunity.”
Protestors didn’t keep the two-meters distance nor wore masks. However, Jan Daněk, a spokesman for Prague police officers, stated that the protests were peaceful and didn’t require any control.
Currently, the Czech Republic has registered more than 63 000 COVID-19 cases since March 1. The highest daily number happened this Thursday: 3126 people. Also, this Sunday was one of the highest increases for the weekend numbers: 1305 infected. The number of hospitalized patients has increased fivefold since September to 802, where 181 remain in a serious condition.