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Our special programme marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism was recorded on November 9 in front of a live audience at Prague’s celebrated film and TV academy. Radio Prague’s Jan Richter chaired a fascinating and lively discussion about the Velvet Revolution, its legacy and meaning for today. On the panel were: Jiří Stránský: a Czech writer who spent much of the 1950s in communist prisons; Václav Bartuška: a student activist at the time of the revolution and the first person to be given access to the StB (secret police) files – he

The Czech Republic is gearing up for the anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution on Tuesday, when some 20 events in Prague alone will commemorate the student demonstrations of November 1989. Some 1,000 police officers are going to be deployed in the Czech capital. Events are mostly being organized by civic organizations such as Opona, which has put together a march that follows the original route of demonstrators, from Albertov to Národní Třída, 20 years ago. At 6 pm, Narodní Třída traffic will be shut down for speeches and a concert. Speakers at the event include Chinese journalist Kao Ju and Russian human rights activist Oleg Orlov. The organizers expect some 10,000 people to attend.

In related news, Prime Minister Jan Fischer has indirectly responded to criticism that the current government did not prepare sufficiently to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution. Mr. Fischer explained that to put on an event like the large-scale celebration commemorating the fall of the Wall in Berlin last week, the previous government would have had to start preparations a year ago.

Celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution began at the weekend and, of course, they began with Václav Havel. The dissident playwright cum philosopher-president was the main figure behind the bloodless uprising that toppled 40 years of communism within just a few weeks. At the weekend, Mr Havel held a semi-private concert to commemorate the music that accompanied the overthrow of communism, inviting Joan Baez, Lou Reed, and Suzanne Vega, among others. In exclusive interviews, Radio Prague spoke to some of the guests who

The former president and one of the key figures of the Velvet Revolution Václav Havel marked on Saturday the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism. A conference “Freedom and its Enemies”, held at Charles University, was followed by a concert “It’s Here at Last”, featuring artists such as Joan Baez, Suzanne Vega and Lou Reed.

President Václav Klaus has hailed his predecessor in office Václav Havel as the central figure of the Velvet Revolution which toppled the communist regime. Sitting next to Mr. Havel at a concert to mark 20 years of freedom and democracy, Mr. Klaus had warm words for his ideological rival, saying that whatever differences they may have on internal and external issues, he perceives Václav Havel as the man who had made all this possible, the central figure of the Velvet Revolution. He said it was now up to the Czechs how they would use the freedom they had acquired.

US president Barack Obama, German Chacellor Angela Merkel, the Dalai Lama and the former Soviet president Michail Gorbachov sent the Czech people video-greetings screened during the concert, congratulating them on twenty years of freedom and democracy. President Obama said the Velvet Revolution was an inspiration to those who are still striving for freedom. Chancellor Merkel thanked Czechs for having helped East German refugees on their flight to freedom in 1989 and the former Soviet leader Michail Gorbachov called Václav Havel a dear friend for whom he had great respect. The Dalai Lama expressed the hope that Czechs and Slovaks would preserve their courageous spirit.

Saturday’s events commemorating the Velvet Revolution were organized by the Dagmar and Václav Havel foundation. They included a panel debate with students and VIP guests such as the former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, French philosopher Andre Glucksman, British writer Tom Stoppard and Polish historian and journalist Adam Michnik. The day culminated with a concert on Saturday night to which Mr. Havel invited guest performers close to his heart – Lou Reed, Joan Baez, Suzanne Vega and Renee Fleming. The show was titled “It’s finally happening” – the slogan that tens of thousands of Czechs chanted in the streets during the Velvet Revolution. President Klaus who was sitting in the first row had high praise for the event saying it was just right – emotionally charged but not opulent.

Events commemorating the November 17 student demonstration which sparked the Velvet Revolution will be largely in the hands of civic initiatives. The Office of the Government and the Office of the President have not planned any special events on the occasion, although President Klaus and Prime Minister Fischer will lay flowers and light candles on Národni street where communist police effected a brutal crack down on a student demonstration sparking a wave of public protests that led to the overthrow of the communist regime. Several thousand people are expected to take part in a procession which will follow in the footsteps of the 1989 student march. Among the guest speakers at the event will be Chinese journalist Kao Ju, jailed for writing about the brutal crack-down on human rights activists on Tiananmen Square in 1989 and Russian human rights activist Oleg Orlov.

Speaking on Czech Television on the occasion of the anniversary, Václav Havel said the Czech Republic would benefit from a simpler and clearer constitution, adopting the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and greater transparency and ethics in Czech politics. Mr. Havel said this was a vision he hoped to see fulfilled in the next twenty years. He underlined the importance of a strong civic society based on personal morals and ethics, but said this would take a while after decades of being suppressed.

The hero of the Velvet Revolution, former president Václav Havel is at the centre of events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism. Among the VIP guests who attended a panel debate with students at Charles University were former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, French philosopher Andre Glucksman, British writer Tom Stoppard and Polish historian and journalist Adam Michnik. The celebrations will culminate with a concert on Saturday night to which Mr. Havel has invited world artists close to his heart – Lou Reed, Joan Baez, Susan Vega and Renee Fleming. The show is titled “It’s finally happening” – the slogan that tens of thousands of Czechs chanted in the streets during the Velvet Revolution.

In a speech to the assembly at Charles University, Mr. Havel warned against new forms of totalitarianism, which he said were more sophisticated than those of the 20th century and it was important for people to realize this and be on their guard. In this connection, the former Czech president criticized the state of affairs in present-day Russia. As a former dissident who received moral support from the West, Mr. Havel has frequently emphasized the Czech Republic’s duty to help others who still live in totalitarian regimes around the world.