Czechs honour Jan Palach’s memory

Commemorative events are being held around the country to honour the memory
of Jan Palach, a Charles University student who set himself ablaze on
Wenceslas Square 47 years ago to protest against growing public apathy to
the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. His act rekindled the desire for
freedom in the nation and was a powerful motivating force behind the 1989
protests that toppled communism.