DDMA Headline Animator

Monday, November 17, 2014

Czechs mark Velvet Revolution's 25th anniversary

November 17, 2014

PRAGUE (AP) — Czechs are taking to the streets to mark the 25th anniversary of the end of communism by marches, rallies, concerts, exhibitions and theater performances.

President Milos Zeman will host counterparts from Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia in unveiling a plaque and talking to students Monday. The Velvet Revolution kicked off in Prague on Nov. 17, 1989.

More than a week after the Berlin Wall's fall, it began with fiery speeches at a university campus, prompting thousands of students to march downtown. The police cracked down hard, and hundreds were injured.

Undeterred, the students went on strike and crowds mushroomed in the ensuing days. On Dec. 29, 1989, opposition leader and former dissident playwright Vaclav Havel was elected the country's president.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.