Seven Protesters Kneel in Czech Parliament Gallery Over Media Funding Bill

In the early hours after 9 p.m., while the Chamber of Deputies debated the removal of concession fees for public broadcasters, a group of seven or eight friends gathered in the public gallery. After a security check that verified their identities and ensured they carried no weapons, they knelt and displayed transparent signs reading “Braňme média” and “Za svobodná média.” Police informed them that the gallery required silence and prohibited any form of expression, including signs.

Nevertheless, the protesters waited about an hour and a half for a chance to be seen and then voiced their dissent, arguing that the parliament was handling the media-funding change too hastily. Jan Voves and Barbora Sommers, among those interviewed, said the demonstration was meant to show that citizens oppose the proposed financing model for public media.