Fiala says Christmas time for hope, Pavel calls for respect for families' pain

The families of the victims of Thursday's shooting incident will feel the loss of their loved ones especially acutely in the run-up to Christmas, but the season is also a good time to try to find hope, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said at a mass held in memory of the victims in Brno. The Brno mass was one of several held in Czechia on Saturday, which was declared an official day of mourning by the government.

In a statement issued on social media site X on Saturday evening, President Petr Pavel called on the public to show solidarity with those who lost loved ones in the attack at Charles University's Faculty of Arts in Prague on Thursday, to think of those who won't be able to feel any joy this holiday season due to their loss and to show respect for their pain.