PRAGUE — About a quarter of a million Czechs gathered on the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that brought an end to decades of communist rule in the country to give Prime Minister Andrej Babis an ultimatum — sell your business or quit your job. Protesters from across the Czech Republic attended Saturday’s demonstration, the second massive protest opposing Babis at Letna park, the scene of massive gatherings in 1989 that greatly contributed to the fall of communism. The demonstrators see the populist billionaire and his ally, pro-Russian President Milos Zeman as a threat to democracy. They have given Babis a deadline of Dec. 31 to get rid of his business and media empire or resign. “We won’t give up until you’re gone,” said Mikulas Minar, a student who put his studies on hold to lead a group called Million Moments for Democracy that organizes the demonstrations against Babis.

Source: International New York Times November 16, 2019 14:23 UTC