Nov. 17 celebration in Prague: over 1.5 million crowns raised

Organizers of the Nov. 17 celebration on Prague’s Národní Street have raised more than 1.5 million crowns through the darujeme.cz platform after the Ministry of Culture turned down their grant application. The fundraiser is held every year, but this time donations are coming in noticeably faster, organizers’ spokeswoman Pavla Umlaufová said.

“The wave of solidarity building around this is a great support for us, and it gives us energy and strength,” she said.

The ministry explained the refusal by saying the 37th anniversary of the events of November 1989 does not fit the program’s conditions. According to Minister Ota Klempíř, it is meant primarily for anniversaries that are multiples of a decade. His predecessor Martin Baxa (ODS) disagrees: he says the Korzo Národní project met the conditions of the call, and he calls the claim that earlier support went against the rules untrue.

“I have always considered it key for the state to join in the annual reminder of an event as important as the anniversary of Nov. 17,” Baxa said. He added that the minister’s negative attitude toward the project does not surprise him: in his words, cultural projects tied to civil society clearly do not appeal to him.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz