Slovak Christians Set The Example In The Struggle For Freedom
The English translation of President Čaputová's address for the 35th Anniversary of the Candle Demonstration in Bratislava.
Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends,
When the participants in the Candle Demonstration 35 years ago spoke out publicly in defense of civil rights and religious freedoms, only a few people could imagine that the Communist regime had only a year and a half left to exist. Something was breaking, but few would have bet a penny on the rapid collapse of Soviet power.
All the more admirable is the courage of the organizers and participants in this upheaval, which was written in capital letters in our modern history. They decided to express their opinion publicly at a time when the communist authorities were mercilessly punishing such activities — with water cannons, truncheons, fists, police cars bumping onto protesters, or even imprisonment.
Many of those who came to the square on that day were subjected to every brutality from this gallery of terror. The leaders of dissent, the secret church and those who found the courage within themselves set an example to others by not being afraid. In doing so, they decisively encouraged others who, a year later, completed the…
