Protesters underlined that the bloc was fighting a war against migrants and that the EU's measures do not go beyond setting up hurdles, barb wire and repression.

The organisers, a group called the Anti-Racist Front Without Borders, said they rejected the idea of safety based on racism and fear. "We will not stand by and watch the butchering of people fleeing war and trying to find a better life."

The protesters were also addressed by Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković, who said that the city could provide housing for some 190 refugees. He also said that the EU should punish Hungary, as he believes that a member state cannot close its borders.

A minor incident also happened at the rally, with two men yelling "stop the Islamisation of Europe" and "Europe is a Christian continent".

The men, who were booed by the crowd, carried banners made of posters of opposition New Slovenia (NSi). The party has already distanced itself from the incident, tweeting "We strongly condemn hate speech. We Treat the refugee crisis as a humanitarian [crisis], people coming from war zones must be helped" in the spirit of solidarity.