Chaos in Slovakia: 30,000 people took to the streets VIDEO

Chaos in Slovakia: 30,000 people took to the streets VIDEO

The protests are directed against plans by Prime Minister Robert Fico's government to close the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Financial Crimes.

An estimated 30,000 protesters filled the main square in Bratislava, carrying banners that read, among other things, "Enough, Fico" and "Hands off our democracy," reports Reuters.

The agency states that this is the largest protest since protests against government reforms were held throughout Slovakia at the beginning of December last year.

"The situation is slowly changing and they are starting to listen to us more in the parliament. They feel your power. Please, persevere with us and continue on this path,'' said the representative of the opposition KDH party - The Christian Democratic Movement. Fico's left-wing government says its planned reforms, which would limit whistleblower protections and reduce penalties for financial crimes, are necessary to end what it calls "excesses" in the Special Prosecutor's Office.

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova has said that the reforms endanger access to EU funds, which Fico rejects.