Czech students walk from Olomouc to Prague to protest culture cuts

Around twenty university students set out on Sunday morning from Olomouc on a 330‑kilometre foot march toward Prague. The demonstration, organized by the student initiative Stojíme za kulturou Olomouc, aims to support culture and public broadcasting amid recent government reductions in their funding.

The participants plan to cover roughly 25 km per day, stopping in towns such as Litovel, Moravská Třebová, Litomyšl, Pardubice and either Kolín or Nymburk. They will sleep in schools and Sokol halls, and hold debates, artistic programmes and cultural events at about fifteen scheduled stops. The march is scheduled to finish on 15 June in front of the Czech Parliament, where a final happening will conclude the protest. A mascot – a “scarecrow” symbolising independent culture – accompanies the walk.