Rallies across Czechia in support of President Pavel

People took to the streets in major regional cities as well as smaller towns across the Czech Republic on Sunday afternoon to express support for President Petr Pavel in his dispute with the Motorists’ party of the ruling coalition and over wider democratic concerns.

The initiative, organised by the civic group Milion chvilek pro demokracii (Million Moments for Democracy), involved more than 400 locations nationwide. The gatherings followed a recent demonstration on Old Town Square where up to 90,000 people assembled.

The group’s chairman, Mikuláš Minář, called on citizens to reject what he described as “a Slovak and Hungarian scenario” and not allow full-fledged democracy or public service media to be undermined in Czechia.

The organisation is also collecting signatures under the petition “Stojíme za prezidentem” (“We Stand Behind the President”), which has so far gathered more than 760,000 signatures. If the number surpasses one million, a large rally will be held at Letná.