Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of the Czech capital Prague demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

He is currently facing a criminal investigation over alleged fraud and is also the subject of an EU conflict-of-interest investigation.

Organisers say 250,000 people attended the rally, however this has not been confirmed. </s> PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Hundreds of thousands of people rallied Sunday in Prague to urge Prime Minister Andrej Babis to resign, assembling from across the Czech Republic for the capital's biggest anti-government protest since the 1989 pro-democratic Velvet Revolution that brought down the communist regime.

The demonstration at Letna Park, a site of massive gatherings that significantly contributed to the fall of communism in what 30 years ago was Czechoslovakia, was the largest from two months of street protests opposing Babis.

The protesters of 2019 said they didn't come to overthrow the current political system but to defend it.

They consider Babis, a populist billionaire, as a threat to democracy, including the independence of the country's legal system. </s> Prague set to see biggest protests since Velvet Revolution

PRAGUE (AP) — Prague won't have seen anything like this since the protests of 1989 which brought down the communist regime in what was then Czechoslovakia.

Some 400,000 have signed a petition calling on Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to step down over fraud allegations and subsidies paid to his former companies. And hundreds of thousands are expected at a rally in Prague on Sunday to urge the populist billionaire to stand down.

The businessman turned populist politician is standing firm, though and points to record low unemployment rate. </s> A major demonstration against the Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, is set to take place at Prague’s Letná Plain on Sunday early evening. The protest follows a series of similar events calling on Mr. Babiš to stand down and for the removal of his appointment as justice minister, Marie Benešová. She got the job just one day after police recommended that Mr. Babiš face criminal charges over the alleged abuse of EU subsidies.

Demonstrators are also incensed by the fact that a preliminary European Commission audit found Mr. Babiš to be still in control of the Agrofert conglomerate he founded, despite placing it in trust funds.

The protests have been organised by the civic group Million Moments for Democracy.

The ANO leader denies all the accusations against him, which he says are part of a political campaign. </s> An enormous demonstration against the Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, took place at Prague’s Letná Plain on Sunday late afternoon and evening. Organisers said around a quarter of a million people were in attendance, which would make it the biggest event of its kind in the city since the fall of communism almost three decades ago.

Many protestors carried Czech and European Union flags along with signs, some of which bore the names of cities and towns around the Czech Republic.

Sunday’s protest was the latest in a series that began in late April calling on Mr. Babiš to stand down and for the removal of his appointment as justice minister, Marie Benešová. She got the job just one day after police recommended that Mr. Babiš face criminal charges over the alleged abuse of EU subsidies.

The series of protests has been organised by the civic group Million Moments for Democracy.

ANO leader Babiš denies all the accusations against him, which he says are part of a political campaign. </s> PRAGUE — An estimated 250,000 people marched Sunday in the Czech Republic's biggest anti-government protest since the communist era, demanding that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš resign.

The demonstration in a park near downtown Prague was the latest in a string of protests against the embattled prime minister over issues including the recent appointment of Marie Benešova, his close ally, as justice minister, one day after Czech police recommended the prime minister be charged with subsidy fraud involving €2 million in EU funds. Many protesters presume Benešova will not pursue criminal charges against Babiš.

The location of the protest was symbolic: On November 25, 1989, four days before a half-century of communist rule officially ended, some 800,000 people congregated at the same spot to demand the end of the regime.

The protests against Babiš have been growing in size, with one rally held earlier this month amassing more than 100,000 people, crowded into the historic Wenceslas Square, another Prague site closely linked to the Velvet Revolution.

But if the growing scale of the demonstrations is worrying Babiš, he isn't letting on. When asked to comment on the protesters and their demands, the Czech prime minister told POLITICO in a text message: “It has been 30 years since the Velvet Revolution and the level of democracy in our country is very high. Demonstrations are part of [the] democratic system in the Czech Republic; people can demonstrate against me or the government and I respect their right to do so.”

Protesters waved Czech flags and signs reading “Resign,” “Babiš, the biggest crook in Czech politics since 1989” and, in English, “Dear EU, Don’t Feed the Oligarch.”

One of the demonstrators, Pavel Stojaspal, a 21-year-old student from the southern Czech city of Uherské Hradiště, said, "Babiš thinks just because he was elected once, he can now do whatever he wants." He added that he doesn’t expect the protests to change the prime minister, "but I hope that it will change the opinion of his voters."

In addition to the street protests, the Czech prime minister is also feeling pressure from the EU.

A preliminary European Commission audit leaked recently to Czech media found that Babiš, one of the richest men in the Czech Republic, had breached conflict-of-interest rules in connection with subsidies paid to his Agrofert holding company.

If the preliminary findings are confirmed by the official report, the Czech Republic may have to return €17.5 million to the EU.

Other demands listed by the organizers, a group calling itself A Million Moments for Democracy, include the resignation of Justice Minister Benešová, the guarantee of an independent judiciary and the end of subsidies, tax relief, investment incentives and government contracts for Agrofert.

Another demonstration has been tentatively scheduled for November 16, if Babiš' minority government is still in place then. Opposition parties have scheduled a vote of confidence in the government for Wednesday. </s> FILE – In this Tuesday, June 4, 2019, file photo, a woman takes a selfie as protesters gather at the Venceslas Square in downtown Prague, Czech Republic. Prague won’t have seen anything like this since the protests of 1989 which brought down the communist regime in what was then Czechoslovakia. Some 400,000 have signed a petition calling on Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to step down over fraud allegations and subsidies paid to his former companies. And hundreds of thousands are expected at a rally in Prague on Sunday, June 23, 2019 to urge the populist billionaire to stand down. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

PRAGUE (AP) — Prague won’t have seen anything like this since the protests of 1989 which brought down the communist regime in what was then Czechoslovakia.

Some 400,000 have signed a petition calling on Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to step down over fraud allegations and subsidies paid to his former companies. And hundreds of thousands are expected at a rally in Prague on Sunday to urge the populist billionaire to stand down.

The businessman turned populist politician is standing firm, though and points to record low unemployment rate.

“The Czech Republic is doing well,” Babis recently said. “We are the best in the region and the entire Europe. If you want to invest, it’s the best place (to do it), it’s a place for the future.”

The protest at Letna Park is set to be the biggest demonstration against the government since 1989’s Velvet Revolution and concludes a wave of rallies across the country.

“It’s interesting but also it’s a shame that our political situation is in such a state that something like this has to happen,” Benjamin Roll, a member of the student group behind the protest — Million Moments for Democracy — told The Associated Press.

“On the other hand, I’m glad that we are succeeding in mobilizing the civil society and that I see is the most important task of our group,” the 24-year student of protestant theology said.

Opposition to Babis has been fueled recently by the appointment of a new justice minister at a time when prosecutors have to decide whether to indict Babis over alleged fraud involving European Union funds.

The protesters fear the minister might undermine the independence of the country’s legal system, in the way it has been in some other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, such is Poland. The minister, Marie Benesova, is a close ally of Babis and has voted against a police request to strip Babis of parliamentary immunity to face investigation.

“The opponents of Babis are certain that he’s a threat for democracy,” Josef Mlejnek, an analyst from Prague’s Charles University told The Associated Press.

A preliminary European Union report leaked in May concluded that Babis might face a conflict of interest over EU subsidies involving his former business empire.

Babis denies any wrongdoing and has attacked the EU for trying to destabilize the Czech Republic.

Babis is also facing allegations he collaborated with the secret police during the pre-1989 days and criticism of his power-sharing deal with the Communist Party.

It’s not the first time that Babis has been on the defensive. After all, he was fired as finance minister in 2017 over unexplained business dealings. At the time, the lower house of parliament approved a resolution alleging that Babis had “repeatedly lied” to the public and “misused his media” empire to damage his opponents.

Like other populist leaders around the world, the scandals do not appear to have damaged Babis electorally. His centrist ANO (YES) movement won a landslide in the 2017 parliamentary elections — part of the anti-establishment wave that swept through Western democracies at the time.

His popularity has shown few signs of being dented since. Babis’ group won the European Parliament elections in the Czech Republic in May.

“People have experienced that their economic situation is getting better, and those belong to the supporters of the ANO movement, mostly the pensioners from small towns,” Mlejnek said.

Mlejnek said the protests are a sign of long-term divisions in Czech society.

“Those who protest are mostly supporters of the democratic opposition parties,” Mlejnek said. “And the other part of the society ignores (the protests) or is critical of them.”

What happens next is unclear.

“If Andrej Babis retains his popular support, he will be in a position not to give in,” Mlejnek said. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Massive protest against Czech Republic's PM

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Prague demanding that PM Andrej Babis resign.

Mr Babis is facing a criminal investigation over alleged fraud, and is also the subject of an EU conflict-of-interest investigation. He denies the allegations.

Organisers say about 250,000 people attended the rally. The figure could not be verified.

It is said to be the largest protest since the fall of communism in 1989.

Who was marching?

The protest was organised by the Million Moments for Democracy group. The movement has grown from a small student initiative into a mass movement.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Protesters gathered in Prague for the latest in a series of protests

It has organised a number of protests this year. The last major rally was on 5 June when 120,000 people marched in the capital.

At the rally, Mikulas Minar, the head of the protest group, told AFP news agency: "Judging from the aerial photos, it looks like we're about 250,000. We'll see how many more will arrive."

What are the allegations against Babis?

The prime minister is facing a criminal investigation in the Czech Republic for alleged abuse of €2m in EU subsidies over 10 years ago.

Police say they are investigating accusations that Mr Babis hid his ownership of a farm and conference centre known as "Stork Nest" (Capi hnizdo in Czech) so that it could qualify for an EU subsidy designed to help small businesses.

The billionaire is also the subject of an EU conflict-of-interest investigation over his Agrofert conglomerate, which he transferred to two trust funds shortly before he came to power in 2017.

However a European Commission draft report leaked earlier this month found that Mr Babis was still profiting from the group. The report determined that he should return about 451m Czech koruna (€17.5m; £15.5m) in subsidies.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The prime minister has denied all the claims made against him

Mr Babis has dismissed all of the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.

A day after police advised that the state prosecutor file charges against him, the minister of justice was changed.

Demonstrators argue that the new Minister of Justice, Marie Benesova, is too close to Mr Babis.

The 71-year-old previously voted against a request from the police to strip Mr Babis of parliamentary immunity.

How has the prime minister reacted?

Mr Babis branded the EU report as "an attack on the Czech Republic" and has refused to return any subsidies.

He said: "The Czech Republic will certainly not have to return any subsidies. There is no reason for that because I do not violate Czech nor European legal rules regarding conflict of interest."

Mr Babis has also refused to step down. </s> (CNN) Tens of thousands of Czechs filled Prague's Letna Plain park on Sunday, taking part in what its organizers described as "the biggest protest since the fall of Communism."

They were demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babis , a controversial politician accused of fraud and collaborating with the Communist-era secret police, and his justice secretary Marie Benesova.

The billionaire tycoon has been dubbed the "Czech Trump" by some Czech media outlets because of his vast business empire and populist leanings.

A crowd that was estimated by organizers to be around 250,000 people took over the plain overlooking Prague's historical center, the site of the mass protests that ultimately led to the fall of the country's Communist regime three decades ago.

A no confidence vote called for by opposition parties has been scheduled for Wednesday.

A series of speakers denounced Babis and called for his departure. Several speakers also criticized the country's President Milos Zeman , and urged those in attendance to take steps to protect democracy.

Babis' role in the European Union's failure to agree a net zero carbon emission target was also mentioned by one of the speakers. A plan to set the goal for 2050 was vetoed by four countries, including the Czech Republic, at a summit on Thursday.

Babis told Czech media on Sunday that while he respected people's right to have an opinion, he didn't understand the reasons behind the protests.

The demonstration was part of a series of anti-Babis protests that have been going on for weeks.

Babis has been accused of fraud related to EU subsidies received by his former agricultural business empire. An investigation ended in the police proposing criminal charges against him. Prosecutors are now deciding whether to indict the Prime Minister. He has denied the accusations.

Separately, the European Commission is investigating whether Babis had a conflict of interest because of his role as the PM and the owner of a major business receiving EU funding.

A draft report by the commission, leaked to Czech media earlier this month, said Babis' business should not have access to EU funding, and suggested that the money it had received in the past might need to be returned by the Czech Republic.

The Commission said it would not comment on ongoing audits. The Czech Finance Ministry confirmed it had received a preliminary audit report, but would not comment further.

Protesters in Prague are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

Babis rejected the allegations and said the audit was "an attack on the Czech Republic." Apart from the resignations of Babis and Benesova, the protesters are also demanding that Babis' business empire Agrofert stop receiving subsidies, tax breaks, investment incentives and public tenders.

In addition to being Prime Minister and an agricultural tycoon, Babis is also the owner of Mafra, a major Czech publishing house that owns two of the nation's biggest daily newspapers. The protesters want to see him sell his stake in the media.

They are also asking lawmakers to push for new safeguards for the country's justice system.

Protesters at Letna Plain on November 25, 1989. Three decades later, the plain was again filled with demonstrators.

Who is Babis?

Babis is a divisive figure in the Czech Republic. The billionaire tycoon first stormed into Czech politics in 2012 and became Prime Minister in 2017. His populist ANO movement then received nearly 30% of the vote -- almost three times more than the conservative party ODS that came in second.

Another Babis controversy relates to his alleged role as a secret agent for the Communist-era secret police, the StB. The Slovak-born politician was identified as an agent operating under the codename "Bures" by historians using archival documents.

Babis has rejected the claims and sued for defamation, but in 2018, a court in Slovakia dismissed his complaints, ruling that he was not wrongly identified as an agent in the archival documents.

"We think it unacceptable that ... 29 years after the Velvet Revolution, an StB agent would be the Prime Minister of our country. We will not pretend that that is normal, we demand his resignation," the organizers of the protests said.

Despite the controversies, Babis continues to be relatively popular among Czech voters. ANO was the clear winner in the recent European Parliament elections, securing 21% of the vote.

The organizers have already called for more protests.
Hundreds of thousands take to the streets of Prague to demand the resignation of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in the country's biggest protest since the Velvet Revolution in 1989.