The early elections are just two days away and the Gorilla demonstrators are bracing to make one last effort to encourage people to make the right choice.
In addition to a public protest gathering in Bratislava at 4pm tomorrow afternoon at Namestie SNP, at the same time protesters will also be gathering in squares across the country (Košice, Nitra, Žilina, Banska Bystrica, Trnava, Trenčín, Poprad and Spišska Nova Ves). The protesters will then probably march through the city, accompanied by Icelandic civic activist Hordur Torfason, who spearheaded protests in Iceland in 2009.
It may all be a bit late for the protesters demands to be met, but the organisers plan to keep pushing regardless of the outcome of the elections. Among other things, they are demanding that the public be given a stronger voice with a referendum on issues like the cancellation of MP immunity, stricter anti-corruption measures, also in respect of party financing, and raising the importance of referendums in general so that people have a bigger say in policies.
The Gorilla protesters will also back rallies up and down the country at noon on election day, Saturday 10 March, with the similar demand of greater direct democracy. The plan is taken from a Swiss model where citizens gather four times a year in their local squares to offer their solutions to local and national issues.
“to make one last effort to encourage people to make the right choice.” And what choice is that then? Dont vote?
One last gorila protest. Maybe just enough to raise apathy high enough to ensure a sufficiently low turnout to give El Fico a majority.
A pile of kids going no where !