Nov 17, 1939 and Nov 17, 1989 interconnected-Czech president

Opletal was fatally wounded by the occupying German forces during a demonstration on Czechoslovakia's establishment anniversary day, October 28, 1939.

Opletal's funeral on November 15 developed into another demonstration. The Nazis retaliated two days later, on November 17. They raided the Hlavka student dormitory in Prague, arrested a number of students and executed some. Afterwards they closed down all Czech universities.

Speaking outside the Hlavka dormitory, Klaus warned against the constant emergence of new malignant ideologies that have the same fundamental characteristic features as Nazism and Communism.

He said both anniversaries are "the two most important November 17 days of the 20th centuries."

Later today, Klaus laid a wreath to the memorial to the Velvet Revolution in Narodni trida street.

He was greeted with boos as well as celebratory chanting of his name.

No physical incident between the tens of his opponents and supporters were reported, but an anti-conflict police team had to calm down their verbal shoot-outs.

"What is happening here now is natural for democracy," Klaus said.

He said it is a great victory that people can shout at the president, prime minister or mayor and no one uses truncheons against them.

The police action against a calm student demonstration in Narodni trida 20 years ago triggered the events that resulted in the fall of the Communist regime in then Czechoslovakia in late 1989.

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz