The+Velvet+Revolution

You have heard of peaceful revolutions. There have been many. You may even recognize some leaders from these sorts of revolutions such as Martin Luther King Jr. Okay, so that is in America. In Europe, there was an uprising that took place during 1989. This is called the Velvet Revolution. It started on the 17th of November and ended on the 29th of December. On November 17th, a group of students were commemorating the death of Jan Opletal, a medic who, in 1939, was shot by Nazi Occupants. Tens of thousands of citizens joined the group as they headed for Prague, the group turning into an anti-communist demonstration. During this, they kept their peace. The riot police soon came in and beat the innocent people. About forty of them were sent to the hospital, hundreds left injured. Rumours broke out, saying that a person even died. This was proven false, though. This day is referred to as “the Massacre on the Národní Avenue." A memorial was even created for this event. The students declared a strike, claiming that they wish for the riot police responsible for the beatings to be punished, authorities to have negotiations with the public, and for officials to step down. Protests sparked in nearly every city. There were already 200,000 protesters in Prague by November 20th. Many organizations took part in the Velvet Revolution, but two of these groups had a major role in leading the event: the “Velvet Revolution” Opposition and the Public Against Violence. These two, after the fall of the Communist party, would take a major part in leading political forces in both parts of Czechoslovakia. In the end, protesters became too much for the Communist government. On December 29, the Communist party fell, democracy then taking over.