Thousands in Prague protest government's public media funding overhaul
Prague, Czechia · Oct 25, 2026
Is it still on?
NOIt was a one-day action on Oct 25.
Last report · checked
The Tea in three lines
- Why they are protesting
- Protesters oppose the government's rushed move to overhaul public media funding by shifting it to the state budget.
- What they want
- Demonstrators demand the withdrawal of the media funding draft and the resignation of the government.
- What changed
- Oct 25: Thousands rallied in Prague's Old Town Square following a rushed overnight parliamentary vote.
Both sides
What protesters want
- Withdrawal of the public media funding draft
- Government resignation
Organised by: Million Moments for Democracy
What authorities say
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš defended the proposal, stating it is a matter of funding transparency rather than an attack on independence, according to Reuters.1
The full story
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Prague's historic Old Town Square and surrounding streets on Sunday to protest against a government proposal to overhaul funding for public broadcasters. Organised by the Million Moments for Democracy group under the banner 'Hands Off the Media!', the demonstration followed an unexpected overnight vote in the lower house of Parliament where coalition lawmakers advanced the legislation at 4:36 a.m. after limiting debate. The populist government led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš aims to abolish household license fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio and instead finance them through the state budget. Opponents and advocacy groups warn that the shift threatens editorial independence by exposing broadcasters to political pressure and will reduce their funding by roughly 15 percent. Prime Minister Babiš defended the measure as a matter of transparency.
Timeline
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