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Between 200 and 300 people gathered late Wednesday afternoon on Prague’s Václav Havel Square to denounce political hatred and violence, calling for a return to decency in Czech politics. The demonstration, titled Stop Hate and Violence: Let’s Bring Decency Back to Politics, was organized by the Million Moments For Democracy association alongside Voice of Ukraine, Informed Society, and Prague Cafe.
The protest was spurred by recent inflammatory remarks from politicians, which organizers said contribute to growing societal division and hostility. Protesters carried Czech and Ukrainian flags, as well as a NATO banner, while speakers warned of potential foreign influence in the country’s political future.
"Public spaces in the Czech Republic have been flooded with threats of violence against journalists, minorities and citizens in recent weeks," said the protest organizers. "We cannot tolerate this behavior," they added.
“We must not let hatred and violence dictate our politics,” said Dominik Hašek, former National Hockey League (in the U.S.) goaltender and critic of Russian aggression. “There is nothing more dangerous than when hatred comes from people in power,” he added, citing former U.S. President Donald Trump and Czech MEP Filip Turek, honorary chairman of the far-right Motorists party.
Hašek had received threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev after criticizing Russian player Alex Ovechkin for continuing to play amid Russia's war in Ukraine. Medvedev told the press that Hašek should “be careful crossing roads” and to not drink beer in “unverified places.”
Turek was recently criticized for urging his supporters to harass a journalist online, a move demonstrators condemned alongside comments made by Daniel Sterzik, head of the leftist Enough! party.
Ukrainian activist Anastasiia Sihnaievska, who fled to the Czech Republic following Russia’s invasion, emphasized her commitment to speaking out. “I will not be silent, tolerate hatred, or remain quiet about Russia being a real threat to the democratic world,” she said. Sihnaievska is co-founder of the Voice of Ukraine initiative.
Opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy leader Tomio Okamura accused Million Moments of inciting hatred, controversially suggesting Sihnaievska should return to Ukraine if she disapproves of Czech conditions.
Slovak speakers, including journalist Fedor Gal and Fedor Blascak of the Open Society Foundation, criticized Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s planned visit to Moscow for a World War II commemoration, warning against aligning with Russia.
Organizers distributed a "Manifesto 2025," cautioning that the upcoming Czech parliamentary elections could determine whether the country remains aligned with Western democratic values or drifts toward Russian influence.
