Tens of thousands rally in Prague to defend independence of Czech public media

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the center of Prague on Tuesday to protest a government proposal that critics say threatens the independence and financial stability of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo).

The "Hands Off Media" demonstration, organized by the Million Moments for Democracy group, saw a massive crowd fill Old Town Square before marching toward the Czech Radio headquarters.

The protest was sparked by a bill introduced by Culture Minister Oto Klempíř (Motorists for Equity) which seeks to replace the current system of license fees with direct funding from the state budget.

"If politicians fail to withdraw this bill, they will see that this is just the beginning," organizers told the crowd. Mikuláš Minář, head of Million Moments, argued that shifting to a state-funded model would give the government direct leverage over public broadcasters.

Under the current proposal, the budgets for both ČT and ČRo would be significantly reduced. This has prompted employees and trade unions at both institutions to declare a strike alert.

Jan Křemen, head of the Czech Radio strike committee, addressed the crowd from the street while employees cheered and held "thank you" signs from the building’s windows.

“The unions continue to insist on maintaining the current level of funding,” Křemen said, flatly denying claims from the Ministry of Culture that a consensus had been reached during negotiations earlier that day.

The atmosphere remained peaceful as protesters moved through the city carrying banners reading "Independence has its Price" and "Unfree Media = Unfree Country." Police spokesperson Jan Rybanský confirmed that the event took place without any disturbances to public order.

Public concern over the role of the junior coalition parties, the Motorists and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), has grown in recent months. An online petition supporting the broadcasters has already garnered 175,000 signatures.

The organizers have signaled that Tuesday’s rally is only the start of a broader movement. Marches are scheduled to take place in 12 regional capitals across the Czech Republic on Sunday, May 17. A follow-up demonstration in Prague is planned for May 24, where protesters intend to march directly to the Government Office to demand the bill be scrapped.