Czechia marks 56th anniversary of Soviet-led invasion
Top officials gathered outside Czech Radio at middday on Wednesday to recall the battle that took place there in the first hours of the Soviet-led invasion on August 21, 1968 and to pay homage to those who died defending the Czechoslovak Radio building.
President Petr Pavel laid a wreath under the plaque with the names of people who died defending Czechoslovak Radio in August of 1968. He was joined by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, the heads of both chambers of the Czech Parliament and the mayor of Prague. When the Red Army arrived to occupy the building on the morning of August 21st, 56 years ago, the people of Prague tried to stop them, and there was shooting. Seventeen people died, and many others were wounded. Prime Minister Fiala pointed out:
"Radio played an irreplaceable role at this critical moment, and that's why we are here today. It was the main source of information. People relied on it; they trusted it completely. They gathered around their radio sets to hear the latest truthful news. The first unfiltered reports about the occupation came from here. Thanks to these broadcasts, a spontaneous demonstration formed on the morning of August 21st, which led to the struggle for the radio station. The uncensored broadcasts lasted only a few days, thanks to the bravery of the staff here on Vinohradská Street and the help of their colleagues in regional studios."
Fifty-six years have passed since those dramatic and ultimately tragic events, but they still hold significant relevance today, particularly as the war in Ukraine demonstrates that political thinking in Moscow has not changed much, says President Petr Pavel:
"Today's Russia is essentially no different from the former Soviet Union. Although nearly 60 years have passed since that event, today's Russia openly aligns itself with the legacy of the Soviet Union. Its leaders openly associate themselves with Stalin and adhere to the principles on which the Soviet Union operated and conducted its foreign policy. We should certainly not ignore this, as the security situation and the international political situation clearly show parallels with the past. Therefore, let us be cautious and not allow ourselves to be convinced that we would be better off with Russia. We would not. Our democracy is not perfect, just as the democratic world is not perfect, but as Churchill and many others have said, it is the worst system, except for all the others we've tried. So let us not reject democracy as a principle, but strive to improve it, always considering the available alternatives."
As every year, hundreds of people marked the anniversary at the station on Wednesday, many of whom were present back in 1968 or had close relatives who died or were injured.
