If you took a walk through the streets of Bratislava, Slovakia this past November, you’d see students using creativity to channel their frustration with the country’s leadership. Messages criticising Prime Minister Robert Fico and the government were written in chalk across the footpaths. Some of the statements read ‘Fico sa bojí medii’ (Fico is scared of the media) or “Zničili ste našu krajinu” (You destroyed our country).
These messages are the result of the ‘chalk revolution’, a new form of protest that students and citizens undertook across Slovakia to demonstrate their unhappiness with the cultural climate and controversial PM Robert Fico. The protests coincided with the anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution on November 17th, which remembers when thousands of students took to the streets to break free of communist rule. In a move seen as controversial by many, this year was the first year since 2001 that the date was not a public holiday in Slovakia, which inspired protesters to keep the spirit of November 17th alive.
The protests were started by a high school student named Michal in the city of Poprad. He wrote anti-government messages on the pavement using chalk during a visit to hisschool by Fico. The student was taking in for questioning by police, and in solidarity with Michal, people across the country began to replicate this peaceful demonstration. Journalism student Aneta Andraščíková was one of the many students who took part in the protest at Comenius University, Bratislava.
“I let the students from other years know that we are meeting to write outside of one of our university buildings, I bought chalks and that’s it. The rest is written on the sidewalk”.
The chalk protests quickly took hold across the city. It was not only students participating; ordinary citizens began to take part as well. Even after the rain washed away the chalk, residents came back onto the footpaths to rewrite their statements. Aneta believes that the visibility of the project is what led to its success, “It sneaks up on you everywhere while you’re walking so even if you don’t want to be part of the protest, you can’t really escape it.”
Petra Sochorová is a classmate of Aneta’s also studying journalism at Comenius University. She felt it was important to take part in these demonstrations to show her dissatisfaction with the current government. “I think it is important that we care about what is happening in our country and that we are not ignorant about it, we are part of this country and have right to say our statement.”
The protests quickly gained the nickname of the ‘chalk revolution’ across social media, inspired by the Velvet Revolution that led to the downfall of communism in Czechoslovakia. However, Aneta humbly disagrees with the name,
“It’s a nice initiative but it’s far from a revolution. It took place during the anniversary of our Velvet Revolution, so I understand the connotation. However, for it to be called a revolution it would have to change something, which it hasn’t for now”
Aneta, Petra and the countless other Slovak students who took part in these protests clearly believe in using their right to protest effectively. The messages were impossible to avoid across the city, which is visibility most protest organizers could only dream of. Perhaps Irish students should take a leaf out of their book and pick up the chalk when they want to be heard.
Sally Collins is a second year Global Media student at University of Galway. She is originally from Dunmanway, Co. Cork, and when she's not writing or creating content, she's usually enjoying a good book in one of Galway's many cafés.