Thousands of demonstrators gathered on a vast plain in Prague on Saturday to protest against the administration of Prime Minister Andrej Babis, condemning what organizers described as an “arrogance of power,” in Czech Republic.
Babis, who has been in office since last December, heads a three-party nationalist coalition made up of his ANO movement, the far-right SPD, and the right-wing euroskeptic Motorists party.
The rally follows a similar large-scale protest held in February that also drew tens of thousands of participants.
Saturday’s demonstration was organized by the Million Moments for Democracy, which has accused the government of minimizing concerns about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since 2022.
Organizers estimated that more than 200,000 people attended the protest at Letna plain, located near the city centre of Prague.
The group has also voiced opposition to government efforts to expand control over public media in the European Union and NATO member state, which has a population of 10.9 million.
“The arrogance of power is growing and extreme politicians are taking our country hostage,” it said on Facebook.
During the sunny afternoon gathering, protesters also took aim at Babis and Tomio Okamura, leader of the SPD and speaker of parliament, criticizing both for maintaining parliamentary immunity while facing legal challenges.
Babis is currently dealing with allegations related to EU subsidy fraud, while Okamura has been charged with inciting hatred.
“I don’t like the way the government behaves, the arrogance of power, and how it sets completely different moral standards, this is hard to swallow,” protester Anna Bittner said.
Another demonstrator, conservationist Marek Perutka, carried a Ukrainian flag and condemned the government’s foreign policy stance, particularly its refusal to provide military support to Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The administration has also reduced defence spending to below two percent of gross domestic product in its 2026 budget, falling short of NATO targets.
“It is doing everything to drag us towards Russia and, together with Hungary and Slovakia, to dent the EU,” Perutka said.
The Million Moments for Democracy movement previously mobilized over 200,000 people during a 2019 protest against Babis during his earlier term as prime minister.
In February, the group also organized a major rally in Prague’s historic centre backing President Petr Pavel, a former NATO general.
Pavel recently became involved in a political dispute with the Motorists party after declining to appoint their nominee, Filip Turek, as a minister. Turek has faced allegations of rape and criticism over misogynistic and racist comments.
Earlier in February, smaller demonstrations were held in numerous towns and cities across the Czech Republic in support of Pavel.
