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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.

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.

When Czechoslovak dissidents produced samizdat literature in the late communist period they did so in large part thanks to the material and financial support of the Charter 77 Foundation. It was run by František Janouch, a Czech émigré who is still mainly based in Sweden. In the second half of a two-part interview with the nuclear scientist, we discussed his relationship with Václav Havel, the Velvet Revolution and the work of the Charter 77 Foundation today. But first I asked Mr. Janouch, now 85, how the organisation had managed to get printers

One-time dissident Bishop Jiří Paďour has died at the age of 72. Padour studied acting in Prague in the 1960s, when he got to know Václav Havel, and directing in France, where he decided to join the church and returned to Czechoslovakia. After coming into conflict with the Communist authorities he was stripped of his license to minister and forced to work as a cleaner, though he secretly joined the Capuchin order. He became a leading figure in the Czech Roman Catholic Church following the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

Emotions are running high following Tuesday’ anti-Islamic demonstration at Prague’s Albertov, held on the 26th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Academics from Charles University have strongly criticized the fact that students were denied access to the historic site because of a political gathering.

Wreaths have been laid at Prague’s Národní třída on Tuesday at the site of the start of the Velvet Revolution. Among those who marked the anniversary at the historical spot was the Czech prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, who said not all of people’s expectations in 1989 had been met. His view was echoed by the minister of finance, Andrej Babiš, who also told reporters that the state holiday should not be used to divide society; some politicians are taking advantage of the day to create a profile or campaign, he said. Alongside political leaders thousands of regular citizens paid their respects on Národní třída, with many lighting candles to mark the anniversary.