Massive anti-government protests have resumed in Zongongia following the Eirian Ministry of Intelligence accusing the Zongongian monarchy of espionage and attempted kidnapping of the baby of Natasha Robinson, a Kerlian exile currently residing in Eiria who is a fourth cousin of the current King of Zongongia; and who was the one-time lover of Crown Prince Kristofer. It is suspected, though not confirmed, that Kristofer is the father of the baby, who has been named Benjamin.
The protests began last year following the Zongongian election where a grand coalition of the three historically major parties in the country took office after an unprecedented election delivered a hung parliament. A number of new or minor parties gained a surprisingly high amount of seats in the election, with many believing the vote to be indicative of a large anti-establishment movement in the country, which considered the Grand Coalition to be an insult to their votes.
King Osvald has not given any public statement following the accusations, though it has been reported that Prince Kristofer’s relationship with his father has soured as a result. Kerlian sources have repeatedly accused Kristofer, and the wider Royal Family, of attempting to coerce Natasha Robinson into marriage after her pregnancy was revealed. This has not been proven; however the Robinsons did leave Zongongia around the same time as Natasha became pregnant.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of the government and fresh elections to be held immediately. They say that the Grand Coalition are “ignoring the voices of the people” and that their choice to form a government after the election was “spitting in the face of democracy”. There have been a number of clashes between protesters and police since the renewal of the demonstrations, with 73 arrests of protesters over the past two weeks.
Protesters have now threatened “escalation” if their demands are not met “soon”. It is unclear what they mean by escalation, or when their deadline is supposed to be. Neither the Prime Minister nor the King has commented on the protests: Prime Minister Kristensen has repeatedly dodged questions regarding them in Parliament, throwing out stock answers about democracy and free speech without tackling this specific instance. It is unclear how much longer the leaders of the country can go, however, without addressing the many grievances the people currently have.
