In the Czech capital, Prague, hundreds of people took to the streets on October 25 to protest the government’s plans to abolish television and radio license fees. Demonstrators fear that such a reform would place public media under the authorities’ control. The Czech outlet iDNES reported this, writes UNN.
Details
The rally in Old Town Square was organized by the civic movement "A Million Moments for Democracy." Participants brought Czech flags and placards opposing changes to the funding of public broadcasters.
The organization’s leader, Mikuláš Minář, said the protest should serve as a warning to the government.
This is a clear signal to this government: you have truly gone too far
What the government says
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš rejected accusations of attempting to establish control over the media. According to him, the government is merely fulfilling its campaign promise to abolish license fees.
At the same time, the Veřejnoprávně organization, which represents employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio, opposed the reform and announced a full-day strike for November 3.