Czechs mark 34th anniversary of the fall of communism

Czechs are marking the 34th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that triggered the fall of communism in 1989. Public gatherings, concerts, marches and cultural events are taking place around the country in memory of the brutal crack-down on a student demonstration on Prague’s Národní Street that sparked massive public protests against the communist regime and led to the return of democracy in the country after nearly five decades of communist oppression.

November 17th also marks the 84th anniversary of brutal Nazi repressions on academic ground in 1939, after students organised a march to commemorate the death of Jan Opletal, a young man killed by the Nazi occupiers. Nine students leaders were murdered by the Nazis and more than 1,000 sent to a concentration camp.