Prague [Czech Republic], October 26: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Prague on Sunday to demand media freedom and protest a controversial government plan to overhaul the funding of Czech public broadcasters.
The demonstration in central Prague was organized by the civic initiative Million Moments for Democracy, with protesters carrying signs reading "Stop the government of arrogance and destruction" and "We don't want censorship back!" Smaller protests had already taken place in Prague, Brno and other cities in recent days.
The right-wing populist government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis wants to abolish broadcasting licence fees and instead fund public television and radio through the state budget. The proposed reform would also involve funding cuts of more than 15%, raising concerns about the independence of the country's public broadcasters.
The bill passed its first reading in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, during an unusual overnight session early Saturday. It will now be examined by parliamentary committees.
President issues warning Czech President Petr Pavel criticized the government's rush to push through the legislation, warning that the process raised doubts about its intentions.
The decision to advance the bill through parliament at night and over the weekend undermined "faith in the good intentions of its proponents," said Pavel, who has clashed with Babis on several issues.
Source: Qatar Tribune
