Tens of thousands of protesters rally in Prague against new government of Czech prime minister Babiš

Описание: (22 Mar 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Prague, Czech Republic - 21 March 2026
1. Various aerials of demonstration, large Czech flag
2. Various of protesters dressed as knights
3. People singing protest songs, man with flag
4. Pan of crowd
5. SOUNDBITE (Czech) Michael Cernohlavek, protester:
"I came to defend something that is extremely important to me, and that is democracy, because I know that the system we have, where we have this freedom, is not a given, and it is important to me to protect it. And I think it's important to demonstrate so that we can show this to politicians. And that's why I came."
6. Banner showing Putin kissing Trump
7. Flags of Ukraine and NATO
8. Protester draped in Czech flag watching the stage
9. Child with Czech flag as crowd sings Czech national anthem
STORYLINE:
Tens of thousands of people protested in Prague on Saturday against the new Czech government led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

The protesters from across the Czech Republic attended the peaceful demonstration at Letná park, the scene of huge gatherings in 1989 that greatly contributed to the fall of communism.

They came to express their concerns that Babiš, a billionaire, and his coalition Cabinet, are a threat to democracy, steering the country away from supporting Ukraine and toward an autocratic path.

People in the crowd, who organizers estimated at 200,000, were waving Czech national flags, while one of the banners on display read: “Let’s defend democracy.”

Babiš returned to power in the Czech Republic after his ANO, or YES, movement, won big in the country’s October election and formed a coalition with two small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the right-wing Motorists for Themselves.

Babiš has opposed some key European Union policies on the environment and migration and rejected any financial aid for Ukraine and guarantees for EU loans to the country fighting the Russian invasion, joining the ranks of Prime Ministers Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia.

The new government is preparing a bill that critics say is inspired by a Russian law on foreign agents and would require nongovernmental organizations and individuals involved in vaguely defined political activity and receiving foreign aid to register or face big fines.

Another plan on the agenda is to change the funding of public radio and television, a move many say would give the government control of the broadcasters.

Organizers said that they decided to hold the rally after a recent decision by the lower house of parliament to reject a motion to lift the immunity from prosecution of Babiš in a $2 million fraud case involving EU subsidies.

More protests are planned to follow.

AP video shot by: Stanislav Hodina

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