Prague sees largest military parade since communist times

The Czech Republic has seen its largest military parade for more than twenty years. The event comes as the country marks the 90 year anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s foundation as an independent state. The parade, which took place in Prague’s Evropská Street was attended by the Czech president Václav Klaus and also Defence Minister Vlasta Parkánova. An estimated 2000 people were in attendance, with around 200 items of military hardware on display. A number of Gripen fighter jets also flew over the site of the parade. No similar-sized event has been held in the democratic Czech Republic, as the connotations with similar displays during the communist era were thought to be too strong – a much smaller display, however, did occur in 2005. Not only military hardware and personnel were on display, but also members of the police, fire and ambulance services.

Author: Dominik Jůn