Name: Slovakia, Czech Republic mark Velvet Revolution anniversary
Uploaded: 2025-11-18T15:15:06.430Z
Duration: 1 min 32 s
Description: The Velvet Revolution in 1989 brought an end to decades of Soviet-dominated communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia, which peacefully split into two nations in 1993.

The Velvet Revolution in 1989 brought an end to decades of Soviet-dominated communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia, which peacefully split into two nations in 1993.

Prague

Protesters in Slovakia and the Czech Republic commemorated the anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution by holding demonstrations against their current governments. In Slovakia, tens of thousands gathered in Bratislava and other cities to protest Prime Minister Robert Fico's pro-Russian stance, despite adverse weather conditions.

In the Czech Republic, demonstrators voiced opposition to the recent government formation, emphasizing their demand for respect for democratic principles rather than contesting election results. The protests reflect growing concerns in both countries about the perceived threat to pro-European values and democratic norms.

Slovakia, Czech Republic mark Velvet Revolution anniversary

On Monday, protesters in Slovakia and the Czech Republic marked the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution by demonstrating against their governments. The Velvet Revolution in 1989 brought an end to decades of communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia, which was then split into two nations in 1993. The Czech Republic and Slovakia then both joined the European Union and NATO, but many now worry its pro-European values are under threat. In Slovakia's Bratislava, tens of thousands of people protested against populist Prime Minister Robert Fico in his pro-Russian stance. Rallies and marches also took place in other cities. It's raining heavily, it's windy, and it's quite cold, but it shows that people care about freedom, that they care about democracy and that they shouldn't let it be taken away. Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic, demonstrators protested against the recent formation of the government. They will say that we protest against the result of free elections, but that's not true. We don't protest against the result of elections, we just want respect for basic democratic principles. Billionaire businessman Andrej Babiš won the parliamentary elections in October, but his populist party ANO fell short of a majority. Babiš recently signed a coalition deal with right-wing allies, including with a party that is against the EU and NATO.

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