Thousands gather to protest government

By Cat Contiguglia and Klára Jiřičná

STAFF WRITERS

It's usual that on the Nov. 17 anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, those disenchanted with the direction of the government commemorate the day by taking to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with government policy and corruption. But this year, which marked the 22nd anniversary of the student protest that launched the country toward independence, the feeling among the 2,000 gathered on Wenceslas Square to protest was that theirs was part of a global movement.

"The current happenings from Egypt to Wall Street tell us the struggle is not over yet; it goes on," Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek told the crowd during a speech organized by the anti-reform group ProAlt.

"In the same way that socialism with a human face did not work, capitalism with a human face does not work, either," Žižek, best known for his work based in Hegelianism and Marxism, added.

Spinoffs of the now-famous "99 percent versus the 1 percent" could be seen throughout the crowd, in solidarity with the rash of "Occupy" demonstrations that started on Wall Street in New York City and went on to spread to cities across the United States, many of which are now in the midst of being shut down by authorities.

"This is the first time since [the Velvet Revolution] that a spontaneous anti-government protest took place on Wenceslas Square Nov. 17," ČSSD Chairman Bohuslav Sobotka told The Prague Post. "It was a spontaneous meeting of citizens, organized by independent initiatives that have minimum resources to promote such a thing, and despite this, thousands showed up. I consider this a success … and the government should perceive it as a warning signal."

Even so, the turnout was far less than the at least 5,000 forecast by ProAlt organizers. It was about double the amount of protesters from 2010's Nov. 17 demonstration, but considering it capped a year of highly contentious measures like pension reform and plans to cut public wages next year, as well as a grim 2012 budget and a sweeping reform package overflowing with austerity cuts, the turnout was notably sparse. A protest over the wage cuts led to a gathering of as many as 30,000 protesters in September.

"Compared with previous years and with the level of discontentment in the society, I would have expected this to be attended by a much larger number of people. … The key change took place in 1989 and the months after, when people used the public space to be active - that was good. But unfortunately, they fell into apathy," said ČSSD Senator Jiří Dienstbier in an interview with The Prague Post that was interrupted several times by passers-by.

One woman approached Dienstbier and asked him what the wage for an average family with two children should be so "they could live normally and from time to time go to the mountains or the seaside or be able to afford some culture."

Dienstbier told her that although an average salary "is no indulgence to live on … it is definitely possible."

She told him she would remember that in the next election.

"My concern, perhaps, is that behind it is not an effort to change things, but for some people this is just a manifestation of anger and resentfulness toward the whole system, which of course can play into the hands of [extremists]," Dienstbier said.

Despite being a small fraction of the overall electorate, prominent at the gathering with large red flags bearing the communist hammer and sickle were groups calling the 1989 revolution out as a fraud and demanding a return to nationalization of the economy.

"I am only a working guy who sees what is happening in this country," said David Pazdera, deputy chairman of the Young Communists Union. "During the severe cutting of employee salaries and as people are having trouble earning their living, even ending up on the streets, a couple tens of people, the rich, are increasing their profits by a third. Here, Marxism-Leninism applies: In a crisis, profits are being accumulated, and standards of living drop. … Nationalization of capital is unavoidable."

The anniversary came just a week after the passage of a major list of reforms meant to reduce the budget deficit to 3.5 percent next year from 4.6 percent in 2011. The extremely controversial package, which was passed after a six-day filibuster by the opposition ČSSD, will increase the lower value-added tax (VAT) rate to 14 percent from 10 percent next year then unify the VAT at 17.5 percent the year after, increase healthcare payments and reduce unemployment benefits.

The budget for 2012, passed in a much more anticlimactic fashion at the end of September, also called for major budget cuts and will likely be revised to be even more austere after the government pushed their 2012 GDP growth forecast down to 1 percent from the 2.5 percent the original budget was built on.

"We are not against entrepreneurs; I earn my living with my hands, but I respect those able to make big money and employ people. But we want greater solidarity. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing." said Kamil Pekař, a 26-year-old welder from the town of Vidnava in the Olomouc region who traveled to Prague to protest unemployment in less-populated municipalities. "When I watch television and see what the government does, and I see the Army tenders and the public tenders, I feel like destroying the television and not giving any taxes to them."