In the center of Prague on Saturday afternoon, groups of people on the March for Life met their opponents, who came to support women’s rights. Hundreds of mostly young protesters tried to prevent the participants of the March for Life from reaching the destination on Wenceslas Square. In several places, they completely blocked their way. The most heated situation occurred in Na Příkopě street, where even heavy-duty people intervened, reports TASR reporter in Prague.
- Supporters of the March for Life and opponents of abortion met in the center of Prague.
- Counter-protesters repeatedly blocked the route of the march towards Wenceslas Square.
- During the first clashes at Mariánské námestí, the march had to choose a different route.
- The Praha je Feminist platform chanted slogans emphasizing a woman’s right to vote.
- Heavy duty officers intervened in Na Příkopě street and detained several protesters in handcuffs.
Shortly after 12:30 p.m., several groups of participants in the March for Life left Hradčanské námesti across the Charles Bridge towards the center. The first clash with a group of opponents took place on Mariánské námestí, from where the marchers had to choose a different route. However, by the time they reached the next intersection, it was already blocked by another group of protesters. Such clashes occurred repeatedly, which made it difficult for the participants of the march to progress towards the lower part of Wenceslas Square, where they had planned to continue the program.
Groups of demonstrators mainly from the platform Prague is feminist, slogans such as “My body, my choice”, “We are for life”, “Our weapon is solidarity” or “Jesus would go with us” were shouted at the marchers. They were holding banners referring to the fact that a woman can choose how to behave in the situation of an unplanned pregnancy. The participants of the March for Life carried banners with the words “I’m for Life”. The goal of the association Hnutie za život, which organized the march, is to support women who have unplanned pregnancies.
Hundreds of protesters were waiting for the marchers in Na Příkopě street, but also dozens of heavy-footed people. They made it completely impossible for the protesters to get to Wenceslas Square in that direction. The young demonstrators responded by loudly chanting “Who’s covering the fascists? It’s the police!” and several began to argue with them. The heavy hitters created a narrow corridor for the marchers, through which they slowly reached the square. The groups were mainly families with small children. In addition to the heavy hitters, there were also hundreds of other police officers on the streets, including members of the anti-conflict team. A helicopter was also monitoring the situation. The police took several people out of the crowd in handcuffs.
