Thousands protest in Prague against proposed changes to public media funding

Thousands of demonstrators filled Prague's Old Town Square on Sunday to protest proposed legislative changes to public broadcasting funding in the Czech Republic. The demonstration, organized by the civic movement Milion chvilek pro demokracii under the slogan "Hands off media," targeted government plans to abolish user license fees and transfer direct financing of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) to the state budget.

The protest followed an early-morning parliamentary vote advancing the bill to its second reading. Critics expressed concerns over potential threats to media independence. In response to the legislative initiative, employees at both ČT and ČRo announced plans for a full-day strike scheduled for November 3. Organizers indicated that future demonstrations may move to Prague's Letná Plain.

Sources: Seznam Zprávy, Ekonomický deník, Respekt, Denník N, Hospodářské noviny