PRAGUE, October 24. /TASS/. A protest against changes to the funding system for the public·legal Czech Television and Radio is taking place in front of the Palace of the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house) of parliament with several dozen protesters trying to break into the building, police spokeswoman Eva Kropacova said.
"Several dozen people tried to force their way into the building of the Chamber of Deputies, and police officers from the special law enforcement unit had to stop them. No one was detained, and the situation was brought under control," the Novinky news portal quoted Kropacova as saying.
Late in the evening, several hundred activists held a rally on Malostranske Square in front of the palace of the lower house, where a vote on changing the system of financing public·legal media is to be held. Some of them, according to Czech media, are still there. It is expected that the vote will take place soon.
Earlier, the parties of the Czech government coalition put forward an initiative to abandon the historical practice of collecting concession fees from the owners of television and radio receivers and to revise the system of financing Czech Television and Radio.
The bill, which sparked protests in the republic, provides for a shift from direct funding through people’s contributions to the allocation of funds from the state budget. According to the protesters, this will mean a significant restriction of the activities of public·legal television and radio, and will also deprive them of independence from the government.