Hundreds of thousands of Czechs took to the streets in Prague to protest against the government plan of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to reform the funding system for public broadcasters, Bloomberg reports.
On Sunday, demonstrators filled Prague’s Letná Plain, calling on the government to withdraw a bill that would abolish the licence fee and move public television and radio to state budget funding.
They also demanded that Babiš secure the resignation of parliamentary speaker Tomio Okamura and strip his far-right party of control over the Ministry of Defence.
A massive crowd turned out at Prague's Letná Plain on Sunday to demonstrate in support of the independence of Czech TV and Czech Radio. The organisers said between 350,000 and 450,000 were in attendance and that it was the biggest protest since the Velvet Revolution.#mediafreedom https://t.co/5qYC54mhpf
— Ian Willoughby (@Ian_Willoughby) November 15, 2026
Protesters say that making broadcasters dependent on state funding could give the authorities additional levers of influence and put media independence at risk. The rally was the largest in a series of protests against the proposed changes.
Babiš rejected accusations that the changes are aimed at weakening public media, noting that in other European countries state funding is also used to support broadcasters.
The government says abolishing the licence fee fulfils an election promise and will help broadcasters operate more efficiently. For the bill to take effect, it still needs parliamentary approval.
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The protest took place two days ahead of 17 November, the anniversary of the 1989 “Velvet Revolution”, which brought an end to more than 40 years of communist rule in what was then Czechoslovakia.