Thousands fill Prague’s Old Town Square in public-media funding protest

Thousands of people filled Prague’s Old Town Square on Sunday to protest plans to replace television and radio license fees with state funding, prompting police to restrict access through surrounding streets.

Mikuláš Minář, chairman of organizing group Milion chvilek pro demokracii, called on Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and his coalition partners to withdraw the bill and participate in a public discussion.

He also announced another demonstration for Nov. 15 on Letná Plain, extending the protest campaign beyond the weekend’s gatherings in Prague, Brno and other cities.

Sunday’s demonstration, titled Hands Off the Media, drew crowds into streets adjoining the square as more people continued to arrive.

Police said entrances from Celetná and Melantrichova streets had been closed to incoming pedestrians and could be used only to leave. Pařížská Street was closed to vehicle traffic.

ČTK reporters described attendance as substantially higher than at Milion chvilek’s Sept. 28 demonstration, although no precise crowd estimate was provided.

Many participants wore folded newspaper hats resembling the one worn by Večerníček, the familiar character introducing Czech television’s children’s bedtime stories. Organizers had encouraged the hats as a symbol of support for independent media.

Demonstrators carried Czech flags and signs reading “We won’t give up our media” and “Hands off the media.” Chants included calls for the government’s resignation.

Minář criticized both the proposal and the way governing MPs advanced it through its first reading at 4:36 a.m. Saturday.

He argued that major legislation should not be pushed forward in the early hours without adequate discussion, and challenged Babiš, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and Chamber Speaker Tomio Okamura over their intentions.

The coalition of ANO, SPD and the Motorists unexpectedly prioritized the bill Friday, then imposed a fixed voting time and limits on speeches.

Opposition attempts to reject it or return it to the government failed. It now awaits committee scrutiny before its second reading; the existing license fees remain in place.

The proposal would replace fee income with direct state-budget payments while reducing the broadcasters’ combined funding by approximately CZK 1.4 billion next year.

Opponents say the arrangement would weaken financial stability and increase political pressure on Czech Television and Czech Radio.

The government rejects those claims. Babiš has argued that legally guaranteed payments and an inflation-adjustment mechanism would protect the broadcasters from arbitrary funding cuts.

Sunday’s gathering followed a Brno protest attended by approximately 4,000 people Saturday, alongside smaller demonstrations in Liberec and České Budějovice.

Employees of both broadcasters have announced an all-day strike for Nov. 3. The Veřejnoprávně initiative says viewers should expect visible changes to television programming, with detailed arrangements still to be announced.