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The man who threw eggs at President Miloš Zeman during November 17th celebrations at Albertov in 2014 is not guilty of a criminal offense, but merely committed a misdemeanor, the Prague 2 district court ruled on Monday. The case has dragged for some and originally two people were charged with rioting after throwing eggs at the head of state. Legal proceedings against one of two were dropped last summer for lack of evidence. The incident occurred on the 25th anniversary of the fall of communism when President Zeman was jeered by hundreds of demonstrators protesting against his alleged close ties to Russia and use of foul language in a live interview on Czech Radio.

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.

The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, is not planning to take part in events on Thursday marking the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, SeznamZpravy.cz reported. His spokesman Jiří Ovčáček told the news website that Mr. Zeman would not follow the usual practice of laying a wreath at the spot where the revolution began in 1989 but would “leave that to other politicians”. The head of state is planning to quietly remember the events of that November 17, most likely at his residence at Lány near Prague, his spokesman said.

Hundreds of police officers are to be deployed in Prague on Thursday, which is a state holiday and marks the anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution. Národní St. will be closed to all traffic for a street party celebration entitled Thank You That We Can, while around 30 other marches, demonstrations and gatherings are also set to take place in the capital. Officers from around the country are being sent to Prague as reinforcements.

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.