Politics taz
Demonstrations in the Czech Republic: “No freedom, no future”
Thousands of people took to the streets in the Czech Republic on Sunday. The reason for the protest: They are concerned about the independence of the media. more...
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kna | Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Prague on Sunday against a media reform by the right-wing conservative government. The government opponents waved state flags and held up posters with slogans such as “No freedom, no future” or “No democracy without free media”. The organizers had previously expected the largest protest rally in the country's history.
The protest is directed against the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis's plan to abolish broadcasting fees and to finance public media from the state budget in the future. The representatives of the government coalition approved the corresponding draft law in first reading last month. The vote during a night-time parliamentary session still causes resentment and criticism in society to this day.
Opponents of the reform fear that radio and television stations will lose their independence as a result of state funding. They accuse Prime Minister Babis of wanting to bring a critical voice under his control. Critics also expect layoffs and program cuts. Babis denied that such cuts would occur.
The initiative “Milion chvilek pro demokracii” (One Million Moments for Democracy) called for the protest on Sunday. Its chairman, Mikulas Minar, addressed the rulers directly in his speech in front of tens of thousands of people: "The fact that you were elected does not give you the right to introduce the practices of eastern authoritarians in the Czech Republic. This country is not for sale, we will not let it be taken away from us."
Numerous people from outside the capital also traveled to the rally two days before the commemoration of the Velvet Revolution of 1989. According to local media, public transport in Prague was overloaded due to the crowds. Pictures in online portals show clogged subway stations with thousands of people waiting.
The previous week, journalists had already demonstrated against the planned media reform with rallies and a one-day strike. Czech Television (CT) and Czech Radio (CRo) had partially suspended their programs and the presenters symbolically wore black clothing.