Thousands of people in Slovakia took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, with the largest demonstration taking place in Bratislava.

Opposition media reported that between 17,000 and 18,000 people participated in the rally in the capital.

The protests, organised by two liberal and one conservative opposition parties, were held to mark the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution against the Communist regime of what was then Czechoslovakia.

The Velvet Revolution began with a violent crackdown on a peaceful student protest on Nov. 17, 1989, which led to mass pro-democracy demonstrations that ushered in a regime change.

The day is now celebrated as Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the two independent states that Czechoslovakia peacefully split into in 1993.

Opposition leaders accuse the government, led by Fico and made up of two social democratic parties and a right-wing populist party, of showing authoritarian tendencies.

Demonstrators warn that Slovakia’s democratic freedoms are at risk, calling for action to defend liberty and democracy.

In Bratislava, protesters displayed signs reading, ‘’The government takes away our democracy and freedom. In return, it offers us revenge and hatred.’’

During the rally, Michal Simecka, leader of the largest liberal opposition party Progressive Slovakia, criticised Mr Fico’s leadership.

Mr Simecka said that freedom and democracy are no guarantee of good governance, “otherwise, Robert Fico would not have been ruling us for 14 years already.”

Mr Fico, who won last year’s parliamentary elections, is serving his fourth term as prime minister after a short absence from office.

(dpa/NAN)