Hundreds of thousands protest in Prague against government plan to change public broadcasting funding

In depth

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Prague in protest against the government of Andrej Babiš. The demonstration was among the largest since the fall of communism, and according to the organizers, between 350,000 and 450,000 people took part. The protesters demanded that public media not be given up.

The government is seeking to abolish the public broadcasting licence fee and fund broadcasters from the state budget. The protesters fear the change will harm the independence of television and radio and allow political takeover of them. The proposal sparked the largest protest Czechia has seen since the breakup of Czechoslovakia.

In addition to the demand to preserve public broadcasting, the protesters demanded the dismissal of the speaker of parliament, from the far right. The demonstration took place in Prague, and the protest continued with hundreds of thousands present on the city's streets.