The Czech Republic Saw Its Largest Protests In 37 Years

• 15.11.2026, 20:03

Up to 450,000 people took to the streets in Prague to rally in support of media independence.

Between 350,000 and 450,000 people took part in rally in Prague against the government’s plan to reform the funding of state media, reports AFP reports, citing the rally’s organizer, the head of the “A Million Moments for Democracy” association Mikuláš Minar.

The initiative calls for Czech Radio and Czech Television to be fully funded by the state, while the subscription fee for television and radio would be abolished. In addition, the state budget for the media is planned to be cut by 15%.
Protesters argued that this move threatens media freedom, as the initiative would make the media more dependent on the state. Rally organizer Mikuláš Minar stated that the protests were the largest in the past 37 years. The events took place in the Letná district of Prague.

Many attendees wore triangular paper hats resembling those of Večerníček, a popular character from a Czech cartoon. The Večerníček opening sequence is one of the oldest in European television. Others held signs reading “We Won’t Give Up the Media.”
The coalition led by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš—which includes his ANO party, “Freedom and Direct Democracy,” and the “Motorists for Themselves” party, insists that the plan to fund the media will not affect editorial independence. At the same time, the coalition is convinced that television needs to cut its budget. The proposal was put up for discussion in April. It immediately faced criticism from citizens, as well as employees of Czech television and radio.