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Numerous demonstrations, as well as cultural events, will be held this Friday on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which led to the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia, and 78 years the brutal oppression of Czech students by the Nazis in 1939.

On the day, the Czech police will be expected to keep ultra-right and leftist extremists from clashing. Prague Municipal Police spokesman Tomáš Hulan said the details of concrete measures would be revealed over the next several days. On Friday, right-wing extremists are planning a march on Prague’s Narodní třída, where in 1989 the police moved against student protestors, sparking the Velvet Revolution.

A cultural event celebrating democracy and freedom will feature music by Jiří Schmitzer, Laco Deczi and the band Zrní.

Civic associations perceive the anniversary as an opportunity to take stock of the country’s post-1989 development and there has been criticism of how far Czechs have strayed from the ideals of the Velvet Revolution and the country’s first post-communist president Václav Havel. Concerts, gatherings and marches took place around the country within so-called Festival of Freedom celebrations; among others, an allegorical procession poking fun at populist leaders. At 7.30 pm thousands of alarm clocks will go off around the country as a wake-up call to the nation that values linked to the Velvet Revolution are being questioned and sacrificed.

Commemorative events have been taking place around the country to mark the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that triggered the fall of communism in 1989. Politicians, cultural figures and members of the public turned out to lay flowers and light candles at key sites linked to the events of 1989, such as Národní St. where the communist police brutally cracked down on a student demonstration and the equestrian statue of St Wenceslas, the nation’s patron saint, at the top end of Wenceslas Square. The city centre was the site of a street party entitled Thank You That We Can and the celebrations culminated with a Concert for Freedom on Wenceslas Square. Altogether, around 20 marches, demonstrations and happenings took place around the capital. Police were out in force to maintain law and order, but no major incidents were reported.

Speaking at the memorial to the Velvet Revolution on Národní St. Prime Minister Bohuslav Svoboda said democracy needed to be nurtured and protected, which was not always easy. He said some people were disappointed by the present day reality because they faced existential problems and blamed the democratic changes for their present circumstances. In order to win broad support for democracy the state must have a strong social dimension, Mr. Sobotka said. Finance Minister Andrej Babiš said he did not believe freedom and democracy were under threat in the Czech Republic as some people would have the public believe. He highlighted how much had been achieved and said Czechs should think positive and unite in taking these achievements further.

A commemorative gathering highlighting the role of students in defense of freedom and democracy took place at Albertov, a historic site which is linked not only to the Velvet Revolution of 1989 but also to a brutal Nazi crack-down on Czech university students on October 28, 1939. Students and academics were openly critical of the policies of President Zeman. In a joint proclamation they expressed support for the values of liberal democracy and removing barriers among nations.

The majority of Czechs welcome the changes brought about by the fall of communism in 1989, according to a poll conducted by the STEM agency on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Two thirds of respondents said the changes were worthwhile, although only 38 percent of respondents said the present social environment was significantly better than before 1989. Seventeen percent of respondents said life under communism had been better while 34 percent found it hard to make a comparison. The older generation, people over 45, were more critical of the post-1989 changes, citing job insecurity and security concerns in general. Those who welcomed the changes highlighted the freedom to travel, study abroad, freedom of speech and the chance to engage in public life.

The relatively rapid and bloodless Velvet Revolution that swept the communists from power in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and replaced them with a set of civic activists, mostly with little past experience of power, lived on in the memory of many.

Thousands of Czechs came out to celebrate the return of democracy to the country 27 years ago and voice their stand on pressing public issues. Despite the strained atmosphere in the weeks leading up to the anniversary, fears of street violence failed to materialize and only minor skirmishes marked the biggest celebrations of the anniversary in years.

A memorial to the 1989 Velvet Revolution on Prague’s Národní St. has been moved, the news site SeznamZpravy.cz reported. The memorial, which takes the form of outstretched hands above the date 17.11.1989, is no longer in a passageway through the Kaňka Palace but on the building’s façade. Building owners the Chamber of Advocates said there was a fear that the many candles lit at the original location could cause a fire.

Prague‘s Municipal Court has cancelled the ban on a march to be held by critics of President Miloš Zeman on the national holiday on November 17, its organiser, activist Jan Cemper confirmed on Monday. Prague City hall had banned the march arguing it would cross routes with another demonstration of the president’s supporters, claiming the real aim had been to provoke clashes. Mr Cemper denied the charge. The march is expected to circumvent other planned demonstrations. The police regularly maintain a high presence during planned events to prevent clashes by rival groups. November 17 is the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy that commemorates student demonstrations during the Nazi occupation in 1939 and against the Communist regime in 1989.

The late Czech president, Václav Havel, who died five years ago, would have turned 80 on Wednesday, October 5. Celebrations of his life and legacy are taking place at home and abroad. In this special program on Radio Prague we recall the heady days of the Velvet Revolution that swept the dissident playwright from jail to Prague Castle.