Thousands of people gathered in Copenhagen to protest against a government proposal to scrap the public holiday to fund rising defense spending. The protest was organized by the largest trade unions in the country, which are against the abolition of the Great Day of Prayer, a Christian holiday that falls on the fourth Friday after Easter and dates back to 1686, Index HR reported.

Unions estimated at least 50.000 people turned out, making it the country's largest protest in more than a decade. The police did not say how many people gathered at the protest. Abolishing the holiday was proposed in December to raise taxes for higher defense spending in light of the war in Ukraine.

The government has proposed that the country meet the NATO target of allocating 2 percent of GDP to defense in 2030, three years early. Most of the $654 million needed for that could be covered by higher tax revenue from eliminating the holiday, he argued.

But trade unions, opposition representatives and economists do not believe in this. The government has a narrow majority in parliament and intends to push the law through regardless of opposition.