Processional - A Symbolic Tribute

Following the panel discussion celebrating the legacy of Václav Havel in Georgetown University's most prominent hall, dignitaries, faculty and students made a procession to Alumni Square led by Šimon Pánek, a former student leader of the Velvet Revolution. He carried the Czech flag alongside students from the Theater and Performance Studies Program. Before the event, the students chalked sidewalks with Czech flags and slogans from the Velvet Revolution, as well as handed out small Czech flags. They yelled, "Join the revolution" and greeted guests coming to the event. As panelists and guests gathered in the main hall, the students, under the direction of Director Maya Roth, placed hundreds of white flowers they had made, leading the path from Gaston Hall to the site of the dedication of Václav Havel's Place. They also gave out 1,000 white carnations to guests attending the ceremony. As keys rang in reminiscense of the Velvet Revolution, students yelled the famous revolutionary slogan "Už je to tady" (It is here!), a phrase that emobodied of the joy and liberation of the people after the fall of communism.
Photo: Georgetown students carry the sign Proč se učit nesmylsly - ""Why learn nonsense" as they reinacted peaceful protests that took place during the Velvet Revolution in 1989