Prague demonstration targets Babiš government ahead of Czech elections

A demonstration organized by civic group Million Moments drew a large crowd to Prague’s Old Town Square on Monday, with speakers criticizing Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and urging voters to participate in the upcoming elections.

The rally, held on Czech Statehood Day, focused on the municipal elections and first round of voting for the Senate, both scheduled for Oct. 9 and 10.

Images from the event showed much of the square filled with demonstrators, although it remained accessible from all sides. Czech, Ukrainian and European Union flags could be seen among the crowd.

Million Moments said the event was intended to warn voters against supporting populist and extremist candidates in municipal elections and allowing the governing parties to gain control of the Senate.

Organizers distributed leaflets describing the upper chamber as a safeguard against the concentration of political power. They noted that some Senate contests are decided by only a few dozen votes.

One-third of the Senate’s 81 seats will be contested in October. The results will help determine which political blocs hold a majority and who leads the upper house.

Speakers criticized Babiš’s handling of his conflict-of-interest issues and government plans to replace television and radio license fees as the funding model for public broadcasters Czech Television and Czech Radio.

They also accused cabinet members of attacking President Petr Pavel, the media, courts and civic groups. The government’s abolition of the Strategic Communications Department was among the security policies criticized.

Tomáš Kopečný, a former Czech government envoy for Ukraine’s reconstruction, warned that Russian aggression against European countries could intensify.

He argued that strengthening Czechia’s resilience would require not only government action but also the involvement of independent civic initiatives.

The event was titled “Václav, We’ll Defend Freedom!” and commemorated former Czechoslovak and Czech President Václav Havel ahead of the 90th anniversary of his birth on Oct. 5.

Protesters carried signs defending public broadcasters and calling for stronger parliamentary oversight. Several banners also demanded the fall of the Babiš government.

Million Moments rose to prominence through large demonstrations against Babiš during his earlier term as prime minister, including protests that brought hundreds of thousands of people to Prague’s Letná Plain.