Thousands of people will take to the streets of Prague today to reenact a demonstration 20 years ago that led to the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia a week after the Berlin Wall fell.
The commemoration of the Velvet Revolution that brought dissident poet Vaclav Havel to the presidency will begin this afternoon at Albertov, an area south of the city centre.
The crowd will make its way to Wenceslas Square, where many spent the night calling for the end of the totalitarian regime.
"The changes we commemorate today were undoubtedly aided by those who for long years tried to freely express themselves and testify to the real situation in our country," said Mr Havel (73), who spent years in prison and was named president on December 29th, 1989.
"I also have in mind those who supported this never-ending fight against the totalitarian power from exile."
Today "is a joyful commemoration as it triggered the end of communism in our country," said President Vaclav Klaus.
Mr Havel joined other political leaders, including Prime Minister Jan Fischer at a conference in the Czech Senate today to discuss the meaning of the revolution and the state of the nation since. On November 14th, he hosted a televised concert that included Joan Baez, Susan Vega and Lou Reed.
The anniversary has sparked debate about the widening gap between rich and poor since the free-market economy was formed and the Czech brand of multi-party democracy. The economy is the second-largest of the European Union's eastern members, although the political system is deadlocked and the Communist Party still commands as much as 15 per cent in voter support.
Bloomberg