Thousands protest in Prague against proposed public media funding changes

Several thousand people demonstrated in Prague on Sunday against proposed changes to public media funding, according to reports by Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, ABC News, and Expats.cz. Protesters filled Old Town Square to demand that the government withdraw legislation aimed at reforming the public media financial structure, Expats.cz and Al Jazeera reported. [1][2][4][5][6]

The proposed bill seeks to end household licence fees for public radio and television, replacing them with direct allocations from the state budget, Al Jazeera reported. Protesters claimed that the reforms proposed by Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his governing coalition threaten press freedom and attempt to stifle independent public media. [1][2][3][5]

The Czech lower house of parliament voted to fast-track the legislation in a rare overnight vote on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera. Coalition lawmakers pushed the measure forward despite criticism from demonstrators who argue the shift to direct state budget allocations undermines media independence. [1][3]

Prague serves as the capital of the Czech Republic, where its historic centre is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to Grokipedia background records. [8][9]