Candle Demonstration

The "Candle Demonstration" was a significant event in Czechoslovak history, occurring in Bratislava, Slovakia, on March 25, 1988. This peaceful protest saw thousands of Slovaks gather, holding burning candles to express their support for religious freedom and human rights. The demonstration was dispersed by police using water cannons, and numerous arrests were made.1

This event was part of a broader period of political dissidence in Czechoslovakia during the late 1980s, which ultimately contributed to the Velvet Revolution in November-December 1989. The Velvet Revolution, a nationwide protest movement, successfully ended over 40 years of communist rule in the country.21