AP, PRAGUE
Thousands of Czechs on Sunday rallied in the capital to condemn a plan by the government led by populist Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to overhaul funding for public broadcasters that is considered dangerous for their independence. The protesters gathered in front of the Czech public television offices in Prague to voice their support for the media a day before their staffers plan to go on a warning strike, and after recent protest marches in the regional capitals and Prague. According to the plan approved last week, public radio and television would be financed from the state budget starting next year, and not from fees paid by people, households and businesses.
People take part in a protest in support of public service media outside Czech Television headquarters in Prague on Sunday.
Critics say that change would give the three-party coalition government a means to take control of the media following the examples of populist governments in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico and in Hungary under former prime minister Viktor Orban. “The media don’t belong to politicians,” Mikula Mina, a main organizer from the Million Moments for Democracy group said. “They belong to us all, and we won’t allow them to be stolen from us.”
