Since I dislike all things politics, I’d like to preface this post by saying that my sole reason for attending this protest was to document the event.
On December 17th, I attended my first political protest on Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square) in the heart of Prague. The protest was organized by a group named Milion chvilek pro demokracii (Million Moments for Democracy), who have orchestrated nearly 20 demonstrations since 2018. The group initially campaigned for the resignation of prime minister Andrej Babiš on corruption charges, but has since moved towards a broader platform championing politicians that respect democratic laws and institutions, do not lie or swindle, and avoid conflicts of interest.
People began gathering on the historic square well before the arranged start time of 6pm. Some held signs poking fun at Babiš, but many more proudly waved Czech flags. At 6, the chairman of Milion chvilek pro demokracii briefly reiterated the group’s platform on a small stage before directing the gathered people in a march towards government offices.
The march was a challenging environment to photograph in not only because it was dark, but also because I had to be in constant movement with the swarm of marching people. I used my 50mm F/1.8 lens, which performs well at night due to its wide aperture that lets a lot of light into the camera. Christmas lights on trees provided a colorful backdrop to a sea of bobbing heads, signs, and flags.