Events mark 50th anniversary of Jan Palach’s self-immolation

Events are being held in the Czech Republic to mark the 50th anniversary of the self-immolation of Jan Palach. The 20-year-old student set himself alight in central Prague on 16 January 1969 in protest at apathy in the face of the Soviet occupation and died three days later.

An exhibition is being opened on Wenceslas Square near the spot where Palach immolated himself, while a gathering and candle-lit procession will also take place there. Events are also being held at Charles University and the Prague University of Economics, both of which he attended.

Memorials are set to take place in Palach’s Central Bohemian hometown of Všetaty and the nearby Mělník, where he attended secondary school. Other events are also planned around the country.

Author: Ian Willoughby