Senate votes to make June 26 officially the “Day of departure of occupying forces”

The Czech senate voted in favour of a proposal to designate June 26 as the official “Day of departure of occupying forces” (Den odchodu okupačních vojsk) on Wednesday. The proposal will now be evaluated by the Senate’s Human Rights and Constitutional Committees.

The proposal was made 30 years after the then president of Czechoslovakia, Václav Havel, issued the “Order for the departure of Soviet armed forces from the territory of Czechoslovakia” (Rozkaz k odchodu sovětských vojsk z území ČSFR). However, the day will also serve to commemorate the withdrawals of other occupying armies in the preceding history of the Czech lands.