The Velvet Revolution

November 17, 1989. You're standing on Národní třída, National Avenue. This is where students were supposed to walk home safely that night. About 15,000 of them marched here that evening, commemorating International Students' Day and demanding reforms. They carried candles and flowers. They sang the national anthem. The communist regime had approved the route. At 8 PM, riot police in white helmets appeared at both ends of the avenue. The students were trapped. They sat down on the pavement. Raised their hands. Stayed peaceful. Police beat them anyway. For 18 minutes straight. Batons swinging, blood pooling on the cobblestones. Over 500 injured, some with fractured skulls. Then came the spark that changed everything. A rumor spread that a student named Martin Šmíd had been killed. It wasn't true. He was alive. But in a country without free press, the rumor moved faster than fact. People believed the regime had murdered a student. Two days later, actors walked off their stages. By November 20, 200,000 people filled Wenceslas Square. A week after that, half a million. The government resigned on December 10. Students who thought they'd just be marching home ended 41 years of dictatorship within six weeks. It started right here, on this street.