Brno:Thousands of people gathered in protest against the Czech government's proposed legislation to abolish television and radio license fees. Demonstrations took place over the weekend as the government continued to advocate for the decision.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the protests included around 4,000 people in Brno, the country's second-largest city, on Saturday. A larger demonstration followed on Sunday in Prague, highlighting significant public opposition to the proposed changes.

The legislation, which passed its first reading in the lower house of parliament early Saturday, seeks to replace household license fees with state funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio. Critics argue that such changes could compromise the broadcasters' financial stability and editorial independence by increasing their reliance on government decisions.

The government, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, defends the reform as a cost-saving measure for households, dismissing claims that it would weaken media independence. In response to the proposal, employees of both public broadcasters have also announced a one-day strike scheduled for November 3.