Czech Government Strips Public Media of Financial Independence. In Response, Largest Protest Since 1989 Erupts in Prague

As reported by The Insider, citing the Czech news agency ČTK, organizers estimate the number of participants in Sunday's demonstration at 350,000–450,000 people. The crowd completely filled the Letná Plain and the adjacent park, with people climbing trees, leading to disruptions in public transport and the metro. If these figures are confirmed, the current action will become the largest in the country since the Velvet Revolution, which put an end to the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. The police have not yet published their own estimates.

The trigger for the demonstration was a bill introduced by the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to change the funding system for Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo). Until now, the public broadcasters have been funded through mandatory license fees from citizens and businesses; however, the authorities intend to abolish this practice and switch the outlets to direct funding from the state budget.

At the same time, as Reuters notes, the total amount of funding for the media will be cut by approximately 15%. Representatives of the broadcasters claim that, in nominal terms, the television budget will roll back to 2008 levels, and the radio budget to 2005 figures, putting their operations at risk.

Overnight Decision

The protest under the slogan "Hands off the media" was organized by the Million Moments for Democracy movement (Milion chvilek pro demokracii). The rally itself was named "Letná against 4:36"—a direct reference to the time when the ruling coalition pushed through the bill's approval in its first reading. The vote took place on October 24 at 4:36 AM. Protesters are demanding the withdrawal of the bill, an apology to citizens for handling the matter in such a format, and the launch of a public discussion on the reform involving independent experts.

The demonstrators' demands quickly expanded beyond defending freedom of speech. Rally participants called for the resignation of the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Tomio Okamura—leader of the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD). In addition, people demanded that this political force be stripped of control over the Ministry of Defense. The Associated Press notes that the government is being directly accused of weakening the Czech Republic's defense capabilities against the backdrop of the Russian threat.

Babiš’s Reaction

Billionaire Andrej Babiš, who returned to the prime minister's seat in December 2025 thanks to a coalition between his ANO party, right-wing radicals, and the "Motorists for Themselves" party, has no intention of backing down. Commenting on Sunday's demonstration, he stated that he respects citizens' right to protest, but the government will not abandon the abolition of television and radio fees.

"The funding system is changing. Nobody wants to control public media, nobody wants to tell them what to say and do, nobody wants to nationalize them," the head of government emphasized.

Street confrontations in Prague have been building throughout the year. Back in March 2026, the movement against the Babiš cabinet gathered over 200,000 people on the Letná Plain. In early November, employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio staged a one-day strike against the budget reform, which was supported at the time by trade unions, students, and cultural figures.

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