Government approves Jan Palach Day

The government has approved a proposal to make 16 January a legislatively recognized day commemorating Jan Palach. A student at Charles University, Jan Palach lit himself on fire in 1969 in protest of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet-led troops. Palach died of his injuries on 19 January. He became one of the best known symbols of protest against the invasion and the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Lawmakers decided not to make Jan Palach Day an official public holiday for financial reasons. Currently 12 public holidays are observed in the Czech Republic.