Prague protest on Malostranské náměstí defends Czech public media

On Friday evening people filled Malostranské náměstí in Prague to protest against scrapping the current funding of Czech Television and Czech Radio. The rally was organised within hours: while the Chamber of Deputies, which sits in the Sternberg Palace on the square, debated the bill, a crowd gathered outside the building.

Whistles and shouts of “Shame!”

The protest was called at around 1 p.m. by the “Média nedáme” (“We won’t give up the media”) initiative, after coalition MPs unexpectedly pushed through priority consideration of the bill in first reading the same day. According to the organisers, the MPs chose this route because they fear the reaction of civil society.

Around 7 p.m. a coalition representative took the stage and began explaining the reasons for abolishing the current system. Throughout his speech the crowd whistled and chanted “Shame!”, “That’s nonsense!” and “Resign!”. People brought Czech flags and banners reading “Česká is here, Česká is ours”, “We won’t give up the media”, “Kavčí hory is Russia Today?!” and “Putin applauds”. Many wore paper hats in honour of Večerníček, the symbol of Czech Television.

Speeches and appeals

Early in the evening the crowd heard opposition party leaders and, before them, figures from culture and the media and trade unionists from Czech Television and Czech Radio, among them former ČT foreign correspondent Tomáš Etzler and actress Jitka Čvančarová. They said that politicians who want to change the regime go after the media and culture first, and urged society not to stop protesting.

Other speakers from the “Veřejnoprávně” (“Public-service, the right way”) initiative said that, in their view, Czechia is slowly following neighbouring Slovakia, where the government has already changed how public media operate.

The overnight vote

Around 9 p.m. the crowd moved from the stage closer to the Sternberg Palace and chanted “Open the windows!” and “Public service is the right way”. Some brought pots and pans from home and drummed on them in rhythm with the slogans.

The organisers plan to stay on the square until late at night, until the vote in the Chamber ends. Speaker of the Chamber Tomio Okamura (SPD) has scheduled it for 4:36 a.m.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz