Czech news in brief for October 11: Saturday's top afternoon headlines

Hundreds of mainly young people joined a feminist “March for Life” in Prague on Saturday, organized by the collective Praha je feministická to support women’s and queer rights. The event countered the traditional anti-abortion march by Hnutí pro život, which organizers said seeks to restrict access to abortion. Protesters carried banners defending bodily autonomy, with police and conflict-prevention teams monitoring the peaceful march ending at Štvanice Island.

Petr Macinka, head of the Motorists, defended Filip Turek after reports surfaced of Turek’s alleged racist and extremist social media posts. Macinka called the affair “strange” and said Turek retains his trust, suggesting it was meant to block a new ANO–SPD–Motorists government. ANO leader Andrej Babiš called the allegations serious. Roma group Romea condemned Turek’s alleged remarks, while Turek denied ever posting them and vowed legal action.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský spoke with Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha about strengthening Ukraine’s defenses before winter and the EU’s upcoming 19th sanctions package against Russia. Lipavský also briefed Sybiha on Prague’s ban on Russian diplomatic passport holders entering Czechia. The new EU sanctions aim to target Russia’s shadow fleet and restrict financial transactions involving additional Russian and third-country banks.

Filmmakers are converting a section of Prague’s Politických vězňů street into a New York avenue circa 1870 to shoot Netflix’s new series The Age of Innocence, based on Edith Wharton’s novel. Props including green gas lamps have been installed between Jindřišská and Opletalova streets. The eight-episode series stars Ben Radcliffe and Kristine Froseth, with filming in Prague supported by the Czech State Audiovisual Fund.

Police captured Yaroslav Yarychyn on Saturday in Vrchlického sady near Prague’s main train station after he failed to return from a walk at Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital on Friday. The arrest was peaceful, and he was escorted back to the facility. Yarychyn previously attacked a woman with an axe, killed a man near Kyjský pond, and injured a senior, but was not sentenced due to insanity at the time.