Thousands of Czech citizens on Saturday took part in anti-government protests in the capital city of Prague. A new political party, PRO, organised the rallies, leading protesters to challenge high inflation rates and the government’s assistance to Ukraine.

Protestors gathered in Prague’s Wenceslas Square during an anti-poverty event and demanded that the current coalition government resign. The party expressed its opposition to NATO. Some called for a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine, while others called for an end to the military assistance the Czech government has provided to Ukraine. Many people wore the letter “Z” on their bags, a show of support for Russian’s military, and held Czech flags. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Czech Republic has supplied weapons and support for Ukraine, as well as taking in half a million Ukrainian refugees.

PRO leader Jindrich Rajchl said the party wants “a government to care first of all about the interests of the Czech citizens.” Throughout the protests, those partaking also highlighted the high inflation rates and rises in energy prices, with some blaming the European Union for these increases. Additionally, the protestors called for the government to stop action that reduces spread of information that is deemed fake news, or misinformation.