Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day in the Czech Republic and Slovakia Date in the current year: November 17, 2024

On October 28, 1939, Jan Opletal, a student of the Charles University in Prague, was shot in the stomach during an anti-Nazi demonstration. He died on November 11. His funeral on November 15 turned into another demonstration, As a result, all Czech universities and colleges were closed, over a thousands students were sent to concentration camps, and 9 students were executed on November 17, 1939.

The Velvet Revolution was a non-violent overthrow of communist regime in Czechoslovakia. On November 16, 1989, students held a peaceful demonstration in Bratislava, which was followed by a larger demonstration in Prague the next day. The demonstration of November 17 was suppressed by riot police, which led to a series of riots. On November 28, the Communist Party relinquished power. On December 29, opposition leader Václav Havel became the new president of Czechoslovakia.

Following the Velvet Revolution, November 17 was designated as a public holiday in Czechoslovakia. When the country split into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in 1993, both newly independent states continued to celebrate Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day on a national level.